First Time
by Crazy Chick 74
Summary: I think the title is pretty self explanatory. Was a one-shot but now a full story - with a prequel... and a sequel. So what if Joey and Lauren have known each other all of their lives...
1. Chapter 1: First Time

**So this story is for Lozxtichx - who keeps encouraging me to write scenes like this. And when she does this is the kind of thing you get. It doesn't go with any of my other stories and it's a little alternate universe too (I've messed around with a lot of things) - which will become clear as you read it. Enjoy! I know I did...**

**Chapter 1: First Time.**

Joey opened the front door to his house and saw Lauren standing on the doorstep. He could already see there was something on her mind. "Come in, Lo..." he said, smiling at her as she walked through the door. "What's on your mind, babe?"

"Nothing..." she said, clearly lying.

"I'll get us a drink and then you can tell me the truth..." he said, walking through to the kitchen and grabbing two bottles of coke from the fridge. He walked back into the lounge and passed one to her, sitting at the other end of the couch from her and twisting so he was looking at her. He watched as she playing with the hem of her skirt. "So you gonna tell me then?" he asked softly after several minutes silence.

She looked at him, biting her lip, "Do you think I'm pretty?" she whispered.

Joey frowned and looked at his younger cousin, "Why would you ask me that?"

"Lucy said I wasn't and that was why I've never had a boyfriend," she admitted.

"I really don't understand why you're friends with Lucy, Lo."

"Why?"

"Because she's a bitch, babe. If she was a real friend, she would never say something like that to you, even if it was true, which it isn't..." he told her.

"It isn't?" she whispered, frowning as she watched his face, trying to see if he'd just lied to her.

"No, it's not, Lo. You are beautiful... prettiest girl I know." He admitted.

"But I've never had a boyfriend..." she said.

"That is because boys are stupid, babe."

"Maybe they just don't think I'm sexy enough..." she said, glancing down at herself and assessing how she looked. She knew there were some things she could improve.

Joey stared at her, his mouth running dry as he took in what she'd just said. "Why would you say something like that to me?" he eventually asked.

"You're a boy... you've been out with girls." She looked up at him, "I know you'd tell me the truth... you would tell me if there was something wrong with me."

He groaned, "Lauren, I hate thinking about boys doing that with you..." he told her. "It's like me imagining them being with Alice."

"So you view me as a sister...?" she said, frowning slightly.

He didn't answer her, staring at her in silence. Eventually he had to say something to break the silence, "Lo..."

"Oh God... You do think I'm ugly... I'm going to be a virgin till the day I die..." she sobbed, burying her face in her hands and hunching forward.

Joey's hand brushed her back, trying to comfort her in the only way he knew how. He saw her face flush and he knew she was embarrassed by the outburst she'd just had. "Lo, you are truly beautiful... but do you know what the most beautiful thing about you is?" She shook her head, "It's the fact you don't even realise it..." he told her softly.

"Why does no one ever want to date me?" she mumbled into her hands. "Do I give off this vibe that I'm unapproachable?" she asked, turning her head to look at her elder cousin.

"Maybe a little..." he admitted, "It's about self confidence, babe... and you don't have that."

"So how do I get it?" she whispered. She looked him in the eyes, "Will you help me?" she asked him softly.

"I'm not helping you to lose your virginity with some meaningless guy..." he spluttered.

"I meant with the self confidence... you're the most confident person I know... if you can't teach me, no one can."

"I'm not sure that's a good idea, Lo..." he told her.

"You think I'm a hopeless case too." She murmured and he saw tears fall down her face again.

It was the sight of those tears that made the decision for him, "Okay... I'll help..." he said softly, "but for the record I think this is a bad idea..."

"So when can we start?" she asked eagerly.

"My parents are going to be home soon and you need to get home as well. Come over tomorrow after school and I'll have thought of something by then."

Lauren nodded her head and got to her feet, stepping towards Joey as he also stood, "Thanks Joe..." she whispered, rising on her tiptoes and kissing his cheek tenderly. "See you tomorrow." She added before running from the room.

Joey stood frozen to the spot, barely paying attention to her as she left the house. "Fuck..." he whispered.

*JL*JL*

Joey was tense when he heard the knock on the door. He was slightly reluctant but when he opened the door and saw Lauren standing on the doorstep he could see the fear in her eyes and the tension lessened a little. "Come in, Lo..." He said, stepping back and letting her in the house. They both walked into the lounge and Joey sat on the couch, staring at his cousin as she stood awkwardly in the middle of the room.

"So how's this going to work?" she whispered.

"What do you want to get from this, Lo?" Joey asked carefully.

"I want to be confident around boys..." she said, "I want them to want to date me..." she added in a whisper.

Joey winced at the second half of her statement but started with her initial comment, "So show me how you react with boys at the moment..." he said.

"I can't..." she whispered, her face flushing.

"Why not?" he asked in surprise.

"Well, you're you... you're not like other guys, Joe. I've known you all my life..." she said, shrugging her shoulders as if it was obvious.

"I'm still a guy, Lo..."

"Would you want to date me if I asked you? If you were just a guy... not my cousin..." she asked him hesitantly.

"I can't answer that, Lo." Joey said, hedging his answer slightly.

"Why not?"

"Because I'm too old for you... You should be going out with someone your own age, not someone my age."

"You're only four years older than me, Joe... not an old man." His sixteen year old cousin replied. "So, would you?" she whispered, watching as he leant his elbows on his knees.

"In an instant..." he said softly, unable to look at her.

Silence hung in the air between them and Lauren shifted on her feet uncomfortably, "You would...?" she whispered.

"Lo, you are gorgeous..." he said, looking up at her face and into her eyes sincerely.

She bit her lip, surprised to see her normally confident cousin looking so unsure of his self. His words had had another impact on her too... because she'd always had a little crush on her cousin. He'd been on a pedestal all of her life, the one person in her life who had offered her some stability. Despite the age difference between them Joey had been there for her throughout all of the drama of her parents' marriage... and there had certainly been plenty of that. She still remembered the first time her mum and dad had split up. Lauren's first instincts had been to come over to see Joey and he'd hugged her tightly for over an hour as she'd cried on his shoulder. She had only been nine at the time and he had been an awkward thirteen years old but Lauren had thought he was amazing. She still did. "Really?" she whispered, her voice failing her slightly. He nodded. "So if I was to try and seduce you, for example, what would I have to do?" she asked him tentatively, wondering what he would say.

Joey stared at her, blinking a couple of times. He inhaled deeply as he sat back on the couch, maintaining eye contact with her throughout. "You tell me what you think you should do and I'll tell you if that would work..." he said softly.

Lauren could feel her heart was racing after she took in what he'd just said... he wasn't saying no. She turned away from him and pulled off the cardigan she was wearing, suddenly she felt a little warm. Could she do this? She turned back to face him, "Well, I guess I would start with talking to you..." she said softly, "And I'd probably hold your hand..." she added. "What sort of setting would we be in?" she asked him hesitantly.

"How about if it was just like we are now?" he said, his voice as quiet as hers.

"Umm... well..." She turned away from him again, suddenly losing any confidence she might have had. "I don't know if I can do this..." she whispered.

"Relax, Lo..." he said, his voice much closer than she expected and she jumped slightly. His hand slipped into hers, squeezing it gently, "So you'd talk to me and hold my hand... then what?" he asked, his thumb brushing the back of her hand softly.

"I'd probably think about kissing you..." she said.

"Only think about it?" he asked and Lauren could hear the smile in his voice. She nodded. "Why?"

"Too nervous, I guess." She breathed.

"Even of me?" he asked.

"Especially you..." she murmured.

"Look at me, Lo..." he said softly after a couple of minutes silence. She shook her head this time and jumped again as his arm wound around her waist. "I said you needed to relax..." he breathed into her hair.

"Too difficult..." she gasped.

"Why?" he asked her.

There's silence after he asked her that but he waits patiently for her to respond. "Because I want it too badly..." she murmured, tensing in his arms.

He turned her towards him but she wouldn't look at him. He tilted her face up by lifting her chin, stepping closer to her, "And you think I don't?" he asked. She stared into his eyes, shrugging slightly. His hand moved from her chin and cupped her cheek instead, the heat of his hand making her close her eyes, "I want this too, Lo." He told her in a whisper. "I have done for a while..." he admitted.

Her face showed the surprise she was feeling, "You do?" she gasped. He responded with a silent nod. Joey watched her relax at his admission but she surprised him again by rising on her tiptoes and placing her lips on his in a short kiss. She stepped back from him as she pulled away, "Was that okay?"

"Would have liked it to last longer, if I'm being honest..." he admitted.

"Really?" she asked.

"And it was a little hesitant..." he added.

This was what she loved about Joey, she knew he wouldn't lie to her... not about something like this. "So I'm not a very good kisser then?" she asked him softly, feeling her face heating in embarrassment.

"I didn't say that, Lo..." he said, stepping forward and kissing her forehead, "You just need a little practice." She frowned and he smiled at her, "How many boys have you kissed?" he asked.

"Two..." she whispered. He lifted an eyebrow in question, "Peter and Fats..." she admitted, "but it was at a party... we were playing spin the bottle..." she added.

"And that's it?" he asked.

"Yeah." She told him, hating having to admit how inexperienced she was.

Joey took a step back, tugging on her hand to pull her with him. Their movement continued and both ended up sitting side by side on the couch. Joey was still holding her hand and he squeezed it gently as it lay on his lap. "Kiss me, Lo..." he told her softly. Lauren looked at his face in surprise but she relaxed as she saw him watching her intently. He smiled tenderly at her and it eased her further. "Just go with me, okay?" he asked.

She nodded and moved slowly towards him, feeling her heart rate increase again the closer she got. She pressed her lips against his, slightly firmer this time but pulled away from him quickly when his lips moved. "Joe..."

"It's okay..." he said. He moved towards her this time and she wasn't as surprised by the feel of his mouth on hers. His hand that wasn't holding hers came up and his fingers brushed through her hair, tucking it behind her ear. This was something he often did when they spent any time together but this time it seemed to mean more to her. His thumb brushed across her cheek as he deepened the kiss further and Lauren gasped when his teeth bit her lower lip. Before she could get her head around what she was feeling, his tongue was in her mouth. She had never been kissed like this before but she couldn't say she didn't like it. She did. She moaned into his mouth as he tilted his head to one side and kissed her deeper, his hand now holding her head in place. He pulled away from her finally and Lauren was relieved to see he was struggling for breath as much as she was. He rested his forehead against hers, "You do not know how long I've wanted to do that, Lo..." he said gently.

"Tell me..." she whispered, needing to hear him.

"Years, babe." He breathed. He smirked at her slightly and his hand left her head, "Ever since you got these..." he whispered, his thumb brushing the side of her breast as his hand ran down to her waist.

"Oh..." she whispered, slightly embarrassed by what he'd just said.

"So this seduction plan of yours...?" Joey said, reverting back to the start of their conversation, "What happens after the first kiss?" he asked.

"I don't know really... that was kind of the plan..." she told him, "I'm new to all this, Joe." She reminded him.

"I know..."

"So what would you suggest should be my next move?" she whispered.

"Probably more kissing..." he said, staring at her intently, "Maybe some touching... more than hand holding... if you wanted to."

Lauren leant forward and she initiated the kiss this time, her tongue slipping between his lips and brushing against his. She pushed him back against the couch, releasing her hold of his hand and brushing both hands up his chest, feeling the muscles flexing beneath his T-shirt. Her hands eventually cupped each side of his face and she pulled away from him, licking her lips before kissing his jaw softly. She heard him moan as her mouth moved down his jaw and then down his neck. Her fingers were resting on his chest and she could feel the rapid beat of his heart beneath her right hand. His skin tasted different to how she'd imagined but at the same time it was all Joey. She pulled away from him again, her lips slightly swollen as she breathed deeply, staring into his eyes. He smiled at her and it helped her relax. He was breathing deeply and he rested his head against the back of the couch, closing his eyes. Lauren sat still for several seconds, watching her cousin and wondering if there was something she should be doing. A flash of inspiration struck and she moved, smiling slightly as Joey's head lifted up sharply and he opened his eyes to stare at her. "Is this okay?" she asked, tilting her head to one side as she sat astride his lap.

"God, yes..." he whispered. His hands ran up her legs and slipped under the short skirt she wore that made up part of her school uniform. The touch of his hands on her skin encouraged her to lean forward and kiss him again. His hands moved and were cupping her bottom, easing her further forwards on his legs. She sucked on the skin at the base of his neck and felt his sharp intake of breath as her teeth tentatively bit him. She wasn't sure if that was right so she pulled away.

"Did I do something wrong?"

"No, Lo... most definitely not." He whispered.

"What happens now?" she asked him softly.

He stared at her, measuring how ready she is for what he's about to suggest, "Can I touch you?" he asked.

"Touch me where?" she asked.

His eyes lowered to her chest before darting back up to her eyes. "There..." he whispered, suddenly shy.

"Maybe we should take this up to your room?" she suggested softly.

"We can... if you're sure that's what you want?" he said. There was practically a silent question ebbing between them and Joey held her gaze as he waited for her to answer.

"I'm sure, Joe." She whispered.

Joey wrapped his arms around her and stood up from the couch. Lauren wound her arms around his neck, shifting slightly against his body as she felt him cup her ass again. There was no hiding the erection he was sporting now and Lauren knew exactly where this was going. Inside she was doing a happy dance because she could tell that what she'd been doing had worked; she had seduced her cousin... the boy she had wanted to be her first time ever since she knew what that meant. She couldn't help the excitement that went through her as she realised he wanted this too. He wanted her.

*JL*JL*

Joey carried Lauren up the stairs, opening the door to his room and moving them both inside. Lauren glanced around his room after he lowered her to the floor and began to clear up a few things, trying to make his room presentable. What caught her attention was a photo frame on a shelf above his desk. She walked over to it and picked it up. It was a picture of them both with their sisters but the two of them were in the centre of the picture. Lauren had a copy of this photo too... she had it hidden inside her diary and she found she would look at it most times she went to write each night. She was surprised that Joey had it framed.

"I love that picture... You look really happy in it and I like the fact my arm is around your shoulders." He said, his arms winding around her waist, much like they had when they were downstairs.

"I like it too..." she whispered. "How old were we?" She couldn't remember how long ago it was. The four of them had spent so much time together over the past few summers. Alice and Joey usually came away on holiday with Lauren and her family and they usually went to the same place so one year easily merged into another.

"I think I was nearly sixteen, I was just about to start the final year of my GCSE's, so I guess that would've made you twelve."

"I'd just..." She stopped as she realised what she was about to say and her face flushed red.

"You'd what?"

"Nothing..." she said, a little too quickly.

"Tell me, Lo."

"I can't... it's embarrassing..." she whispered.

"There is nothing you can't tell me, babe." He said in a whisper.

"I was going to say I'd just started my periods and I hated pretty much everything about that summer... apart from those two weeks we went away."

"I remember..." he said, smiling against her hair.

"You knew?" She gasped, beyond mortified.

"I heard your mum telling my mum... and anyway, there were many things I noticed about you that summer."

Lauren sighed and put down the photo on his desk. She turned to face him, "Like what?" she asked as she put her arms around his neck, stepping closer to him.

"I noticed how beautiful you were... You turned from this awkward goose into a beautiful swan seemingly overnight..." He kissed her lips softly. "You're embarrassed about me knowing you had started your periods? You think things were any easier for me that summer?" he asked her, staring at her intently and seeing the look of recognition on her face.

"Your voice broke that summer, didn't it?" she said, smiling at him widely. "One minute you would squeak and then it would be about two octaves lower. Al and I teased you about it all the time." She smirked at him.

His face reddened at her teasing and he bit his lip, "That wasn't the only thing that happened for me that summer..."

"It wasn't?" she asked, frowning in concern as she saw the embarrassment on his face.

"It was the first summer I realised that you were a girl, Lo... and my body reacted accordingly." He whispered the last few words.

"It did?" she asked.

His hands pulled her closer to him and she could feel his erection again, "This isn't the first time you've turned me on, Lo." He whispered to her, staring into her eyes intently.

Lauren swallowed, her mouth dry and she couldn't believe how much those words affected her. "It isn't?" she asked.

"I told you I've liked you since you got these..." he said, glancing down at her chest again, "That summer may have been when you started your periods... it was also the year you started wearing a bra... I loved and hated the times we were all in the pool that summer in equal measures because it meant I got to see you in that red bikini you always wore but it also turned me on which was embarrassing when surrounded by all you girls."

"I never realised..." she whispered.

"Then I'm extremely grateful..." he replied. He pressed his body against hers. "Most mornings I'd wake up and the first thing I'd think of was you in that bikini..." he whispered, watching her face as he admitted that. "Every morning you were the only thing I had to think of to get some relief... but it felt wrong because you were so young and you're my cousin. I couldn't stop it though... however much I thought it was wrong, nothing else worked." He lifted his hand and cupped the side of her face again, "You were the first girl to ever affect me that way, Lo." He told her softly.

"I've liked you since I was nine, Joe... not that I really knew what that meant... but you were always the person I looked up to. You were my hero... the person I turned to when everything went bad. That's never changed for me, Joe... and I don't think it ever will."

He lowered his head and kissed her softly, pulling her forwards as he walked backwards to his bed. Both of them deepening the kiss and then they stopped next to his bed, both of them slightly short of breath and staring at each other. "Are you sure this is what you want, Lo?" She nodded. "I need to hear you tell me, babe."

"I want this, Joe. I want you..." She said, holding his gaze and let him see the truth in her eyes. "This wasn't what I thought would happen when I came over here but I don't regret this. I've wanted this to happen with you for a long time." She admitted, "I want you to be my first, Joe..." she told him softly.

"This will change things between us, Lo..." he said.

"It won't, Joe. It's not going to change how I feel about you..."

"It might change how I feel about you..." he admitted.

"How so...?" she asked, biting her lip.

"It's going to make my feelings stronger, Lo... I don't think once will be enough." He told her, pressing his mouth against hers. "You're about to let me live out my first ever fantasy, Lo... I don't think you realise what that means to me..."

"I do, Joe... because it's mine too." She pushed his chest and he sat on the edge of the bed. He watched her as she climbed back onto his lap again and she put her arms around his neck. "You're going to have to talk me through this, Joe... I have no idea what I'm doing here." She whispered to him.

"I think you know much more than you think you do..." he told her softly.

"Joe, I'm serious... this is a little overwhelming... I've never even seen a guy naked..." Her face flamed at that admission but she continued looking into his eyes.

"I'll look after you, baby." He told her softly.

"So what do we do first...?" she asked, feeling her stomach flip-flop slightly from his last words.

"How about we take off some of these clothes..." he asked her gently. She froze on his lap, staring at him like the proverbial rabbit in headlights. "We don't have to do this if you don't want to, Lo. You can change your mind at any time. There's no pressure..." He lifted his hand and brushed her hair back, tucking it behind her ear.

"I know... I'm just worried that you'll change your mind..." she whispered.

"Why would I do that?" he asked her, frowning at her.

"When you see what's underneath my clothes." She murmured.

"Not going to happen, Lo..." he reassured her. "Stand up..." he said softly, helping her to her feet as she slid off his lap. He stood behind her, "Do you want me to undress you?" he whispered in her ear. She gasped softly, feeling her heart falter slightly and she nodded. He started at her skirt, slowly lowering the zip and letting it fall to the floor. She heard his sharp intake of breath and then his hands settled on her hips and brushed over her skin.

"Is this okay?" she asked softly.

"Do you know how beautiful you are?" he asked her gently. "Your legs are fantastic, Lo... almost seem to go on forever." He added.

Her face flushed again and she turned to face him. "I'm nothing special, Joe..." she whispered.

"To me, you are..."

"Charmer..." she said with a smirk.

"Just telling the truth..." he said with a shake of his head. His hands moved to the top of her blouse and she bit her lip, "Do you want me to stop?" he asked before he undid the first button.

"Not if you want to live, Joe..." she told him. He smiled at her and began to undo the buttons. He slipped the blouse off her shoulders and it joined her skirt on the floor. She was standing there before him in just her underwear, relieved to have chosen some nice things to wear today. "You're a little overdressed, Joe." She told him.

"You know what to do..." he whispered.

She stared up at his face and he saw the look of determination appear. Her hands moved to his T-shirt first, pulling it free from his jeans. He smiled slightly as he saw her bite her lip as she lifted it up his body and over his head. She stood staring at his body and he let her, feeling the heat of her eyes as they drifted over his chest. She glanced up at his face again and he saw the rosy tint to her cheeks had intensified. She stepped close to him and pressed her lips against his chest, directly above his heart and she felt the rate of his heart increase dramatically. She glanced up at his face and was surprised to see the intensity on it. She swallowed quickly. He smiled at her softly. She lowered her eyes and her hands moved to the waistband of his jeans. She bit her lip as she slowly undid them and she wasn't sure where to look as she pushed them from his hips and down his legs. She could see the large bulge hidden within his pants and again her mouth ran dry.

"We don't have to rush this, Lo..." he whispered. "We can take as long as it takes..." He took her hand in his and pulled her to follow him as he climbed onto his bed. Lauren lay facing him, staring into his eyes. He couldn't wait any longer, he leant forward and kissed her, pressing her back slightly into the bed as he hovered over her. His hand ran over her body, rising up and cupping a breast. He pulled his mouth from hers and stared into her eyes, breathing deeply as he brushed his thumb over the peak of her bra. "Better than I imagined it to be..." he said softly.

"Take it off..." she murmured. He didn't hesitate to follow her instruction, reaching beneath her and undoing the bra with ease. He pulled the straps down her arms and then pushed it to the floor, his eyes fixed on what he'd revealed. Lauren watched his face, stunned as she saw him lean down and pull one peak between his lips. She closed her eyes instinctively and cradled his head in her hands as his mouth worshipped her breast. "Joe..." she gasped.

He lifted his head and kissed her lips softly, "You okay?"

Lauren nodded, "I want you, Joe..."

"I want you too, Lo." He told her tenderly.

Lauren bit her lip and placed her hand on Joey's chest. Staring into his eyes she ran her hand slowly down his body until she reached his pants and it settled on the bulge within. Joey closed his eyes, breathing deeply and her hand tentatively brushed him. "Can I touch you?" she whispered, making him open his eyes quickly. He paused for a few seconds before nodding his head and moving away from her. "Joe?" she asked as he climbed off the bed. Her eyes widened as she saw him slowly push his pants to the floor. He stood back up, not at all ashamed of the fact he was naked and Lauren's eyes slowly rose up his body. The boy had nothing at all to be ashamed of. Not that she'd ever seen another man as naked as Joey now was to compare him with but it couldn't be possible for there to be anyone who looked quite as magnificent as he did. She watched as he moved back to her and he slowly pulled her knickers down her legs, throwing them behind him. Before she could catch her breath and take stock of the fact he was seeing her naked, Joey was lying back beside her on the bed. He took her hand in his and laced their fingers together as he shifted towards her and kissed her softly. He distracted her completely with his mouth and it took her some time before she realised he'd placed her hand on his cock.

Joey pulled away from her as he felt her reaction. He stared into her eyes and tried to work out what she was thinking. "You still alright?" he asked.

"Mmm hmm..." she whispered, her fingers moving experimentally to circle him. He gasped at what she did and she froze. "Joe?" she said, not for the first time today.

"It's fine..." he reassured her, "It's really good, Lo..."

"What do I do?" she asked him hesitantly. His hand covered hers and he showed her how to stroke him, Lauren's eyes widening as she watched what they were doing and felt his length harden within her grip. "Wow..." she whispered.

"See what you do to me, baby?" he told her softly.

Lauren glanced up at his face and stretched her neck so she could kiss him, a kiss that deepened quickly. "Touch me, Joe..." she whispered against his mouth.

Joey stared at her face, moving her leg so it was resting on top of his. His hand brushed across her hip and she closed her eyes as she felt his fingers brush past her clit. He pressed that spot again and Lauren gasped, her hips shifting against his hands automatically. Her hand moved again on his length, having stopped when he first touched her. They both spent the next few minutes experimentally touching each other as they measured how each other reacted to what they were doing. Lauren moaned as Joey pushed a finger into her and Joey kissed her gently, feeling her relax slightly as he eased his finger in and out of her smoothly. "Does that feel good, Lo?" he asked her softly. She nodded and her other hand clenched his shoulder.

"More..." she gasped, releasing his cock, simply unable to concentrate on two things at once as Joey started to build momentum with his movements. A second finger was introduced and Joey felt her body clench around him as he pushed them gently into her. "Feels good..." she whispered.

"Just relax, baby... let yourself feel what I'm doing to you." He tells her. A third finger is added to the mix and she moans in the back of her throat, closing her eyes.

Joey is fighting his own battle, having not realised just how much it would affect him to see Lauren reacting to his touch like this. She was writhing on his bed and it was affecting him as much as her touch had. All too soon she tightened hard around his fingers and her back arched off the bed, her hands clutching his shoulders. He slowed his hand movements, letting her calm down as her orgasm faded away.

"Joey... I want you..." she told him softly, staring into his eyes.

"Are you sure, Lo?" he asked. She nodded her head. Joey kissed her gently, leaning over her and pressing his body against hers, letting her feel his hard length as it lay between them. She pulled away from him slightly as she felt him reaching past her.

"What are you doing?"

"Condom..." he said softly.

"Oh..." Her face flushed at that one word but she watched in interest as he rolled it down onto his length.

Joey looked up at her face and saw the hesitation there. "You okay?" he asked.

"A bit scared..." she whispered. "Will it hurt?" she asked him softly.

"A little, maybe..." he told her. "Are you sure this is what you want?"

"More than anything, Joe." She said, smiling at him.

Joey pulled her against him again, kissing her repeatedly, distracting her slightly from what he was about to do. His fingers found her opening again and he stroked her softly, feeling her moan into his mouth. He moved so he was now lying on top of her and he eased the tip of his length to her opening. He lifted his head and stared into her eyes intently, seeing the slight nod from her, telling him to go ahead. He eased into her slowly, feeling her tighten around him and seeing her eyes screw shut and her bite her lip until he was fully seated within her. "Okay?" he asked her softly.

Lauren opened her eyes and looked up into Joey's, "Feels so good..." she whispered. "Only hurt a little..." she told him.

He leant down and kissed her, "Good..." he breathed against her mouth. "It only gets better from here, baby..." he said.

"Show me..." she whimpered, as he pulled his hips back, withdrawing almost all the way out of her. She moaned again as he slid back into her, burying himself back inside her. Her arms wrapped around his neck and she hugged him close as she felt the intensity inside her climb again after several more minutes. Her nails dug into his back and she heard him groan as his face pressed into her neck. He was moving faster now and while it was slightly painful the emotions each shift of his hips brought out in her more than compensated. Suddenly her peak was on her, so much more intense than the first time she'd come and she cried out his name, feeling his cock start to throb within her as he came with her. They were both breathless as Joey collapsed on top of her, loving the way it had felt to make love to the girl beneath him.

He slipped from her body but gathered her in his arms, loathed to release his hold on her just yet. He had just lived his teenage fantasy and he was hoping he would get the chance to do that many more times. It was the best sex he'd ever had, despite the fact she hadn't really known what she was doing and it was her first time. It had been one of the most intense experiences of his life. "I love you, Lo..." he whispered to her.

"I love you too, Joe." She replied, "Thank you for doing that with me... for being my first time."

"It was most definitely my pleasure, Lo." He said, kissing her forehead tenderly.

TBC

**A/N: So what did you think? See what the hot weather does to me?**


	2. Chapter 2: Cousins

**So my one-shot is a one-shot no more... it's now a full-blown story. So this chapter and the one tomorrow are both technically prequels to the last chapter... but they read so much better after it. Does that make sense? Also a big thanks to all my Twitter girlies, your support has made it easier to write this story. **

**Anyway, the titles of the chapters are thematic and as soon as someone can correctly identify what it is, you will start to get a clue to the next chapter. Challenge set! I look forward to reading your guesses...  
**

**So I hope you enjoy this... have the tissues handy... you're going to need them for this story (be warned).  
**

**Chapter**** 2: Cousins.**

If you were to ask Lauren Branning what her earliest memory was... chances are it would contain her cousin Joey Branning. Joey was three and a half years old when she was born and as their mums were good friends, the cousins were also close as they grew up. The families spent a lot of time together and as Lauren grew older she was somewhat in awe of her elder cousin.

Joey was always pretty important in her life, in fact his name was one of the first words she mastered. Even before she could say mama or dada, JoJo was uttered from her mouth... or dodo in Lauren's baby talk. Joey's smile on the day she'd said it could've lit up the square for several days. He liked her name for him so much he christened her LoLo. Even in their later years the names stuck albeit normally abbreviated to Joe and Lo.

*JL*JL*

So her earliest memory was of being in a paddling pool and Joey teasing her with a worm. She was probably two at the time and he was six. He had just come home from school and had run up to the pool she was sitting in, happily playing with some rubber ducks and a bald headed doll (that had been scalped by Joey a few weeks earlier) and he waved the wriggling worm in her face. He wouldn't move it away and she looked up at him with tear filled eyes, her bottom lip jutting out as she sobbed his name repeatedly. He just laughed at her though and threatened to put it in her swimming costume and in her struggle to get away from the scary creature (the worm rather than her cousin), she toppled over in the pool and had to be rescued by her mummy. Lauren sat on her mummy's lap, cocooned in a towel as she comforted her. Lauren watched as Joey received a smack on the back of his legs from his mummy. A few years later she would think about how guilty she felt that he got punished for what he did... after all he was just being _a boy_... but at the time she just sat sucking her thumb as she saw Joey begin to cry after getting told off.

*JL*JL*

Lauren also remembered the holiday their families went on that year. They had gone to Great Yarmouth for two weeks and had stayed in caravans on the beach front. She and Joey had played in the sand on the beach while their parents sat nearby. In the middle weekend there was great excitement for the pair as their Uncle Jack came and he played with the two, building sandcastles and walking the two of them to the edge of the sea so they could dabble their toes in the water. Both Joey and Lauren loved their Uncle Jack a great deal; mainly because he always played with them and wasn't an old fuddy duddy like their parents were prone to being. Joey's mummy was pregnant that holiday so it had been a pretty quiet time until Uncle Jack arrived. Lauren remembered sitting side by side with Joey, both eating an ice cream that Uncle Jack had brought them and Joey was holding Lauren's hand (because he'd been told to) as they sat on the sand.

*JL*JL*

Lauren would often play with her dolls and Joey would find himself invited to tea party after tea party between her second, third and fourth birthdays. Lauren was mummy to all the dolls which, of course, made Joey the daddy (to his amusement), not that he ever protested this announcement. There was something about Lauren that made it very difficult for him to refuse her any demand. He found she would look at him with her beautiful brown eyes and he was done for.

One time they were playing in the garden, their 'children' all sitting around the blanket with 'mummy' and 'daddy' at either end. When Lauren wasn't looking he put some caterpillars inside the teapot, finding it hysterically amusing when she screamed as she poured them into one of the tea cups. Until he looked at her face and saw the way she was looking at him. For a two year old she managed to pull off a pretty good look that conveyed such disappointment and sadness and the guilt of what he'd done overwhelmed him. He disposed of the caterpillars, saving the day for mummy and the children and all was right with the world again. Mummy fed the children and gave daddy a soft kiss on his cheek to say thank you for rescuing her from the creepy crawlies. Somehow this just made him feel worse.

*JL*JL*

Lauren was three when Abi was born and she didn't like it. She didn't want a baby sister. She liked it when it was just her and mummy and daddy. Now there was this baby there too... and all she did was cry (scream) and draw attention away from her. Life was very unfair as far as Lauren Branning was concerned.

And she had to go to pre-school soon after Abi came along so she also struggled with the fact she wasn't at home all the time; she was missing out on a lot of quality mummy and daddy time and as far as she was concerned it was Abi who should take the brunt of the blame for this. The only up-side to these changes was that she got more time with Joey. He went to the school that her pre-school was part of so they would walk to and from school together. Joey also had a baby sister, just like she did, although Alice was almost eight months older than Abi. Needless to say Alice was about as popular as Abi was, so it was something they had in common.

Sisters were rubbish.

*JL*JL*

If you were to ask a seven year old Joey Branning about girls, the only girl he wanted in his life was Lauren... because she was a little bit of a tomboy and she let him win when they played together, although he could easily beat her anyway if he wanted to... because he was a boy and boys are better (obviously). All other girls were unnecessary as far as he was concerned. Sometimes if his friends were at his house after school they would tease him because Lauren would usually be found following him around like a little shadow but one kick in the shins (from Joey) and they usually shut up pretty quickly. Because the truth of the matter was, Joey really liked his little LoLo-sized shadow. He liked her a great deal.

*JL*JL*

Sometimes that summer Joey would take Lauren to the playground that was situated between their two houses. They were still in view of her house so his aunt was okay about it... as long as he stayed with Lauren at all times and he made sure she didn't get hurt by any other children. It was a task that Joseph Branning took very seriously. He would not be responsible for her getting hurt. Lauren would hold his hand as they walked the few metres to the park and then hold her arms in the air when they reached the swings because she wanted to go on them. He lifted her into the seat and would then push her backwards and forwards. She would giggle louder and louder, the sound making him laugh with her. She cried out higher repeatedly, begging him to push her harder so she could fly.

Once they were finished on the swings Joey and Lauren would go to the slide and he would help her climb up the ladder to the top. She would then wait patiently for him to go to the bottom and she would slide down into his arms, clapping her hands when she reached the bottom and begging him to let her do it again. Usually after much pleading from Lauren he would eventually give in and sit at the top of the slide, Lauren on his lap, his arms around her waist, holding her against him as she counted to three and then they'd slide down together. Lauren would shriek with laughter, her hands waving in the air every time.

Life was good for both children.

*JL*JL*

When Lauren had her fourth birthday, Joey was seven (and a half) and he still enjoyed spending time with her. She made him laugh and she idolised him which he kind of liked too. JoJo was her favouritest person in the whole wide world... he knew that because she told him (all the time).

Lauren had been given a bike for her birthday by her parents. It was her very first one. Her daddy promised he would teach her to ride it at the weekend but (and not for the last time in her life) he let her down and wasn't around when he said he would be. This upset Lauren a great deal and Joey could see that easily. He hated Lauren being upset. If she cried, she usually got her way (with Joey at least) and she knew that, taking great advantage of Joey in her early years. Until he grew wise to what she was doing, that was but even then it still affected him.

So he could see she was disappointed that she wasn't going to get to ride her Bart Simpson bike (she refused to get a Barbie one when her parents asked her what one she wanted – because Barbie was for girls _and_ it was pink (bleurgh)). Joey stood with her, watching the tears welling in her eyes and her bottom lip quivering as they both stared at the bike sitting there so innocently before them. Joey reached for her hand and squeezed it gently, softly offering to teach her how to ride her bike. It was an offer she quickly accepted and he helped her onto the saddle and began to show her how the handlebars would help her steer and told her about using the brakes. Much like his daddy had done for him when he was a similar age to Lauren was now.

The look on her face as she started to pedal her bike beside him, him holding the bike so she kept her balance was reward enough... until she turned the handlebars too sharply and the bike tipped over, being yanked from his grip so quickly he was unable to stop her falling. Unfortunately what Joey had forgotten from when he'd learnt to ride his bike was the stabilisers his daddy had secured for those first few attempts; stabilisers that Joey's Uncle Max was supposed to have been putting on Lauren's bike that morning. Joey felt very bad when he saw Lauren start to cry as she sat among the toppled bike, huge tears falling like rivers down her face. He sat on the floor next to her and put his arm around her, trying to calm his LoLo down and stop her from crying. It didn't work, in fact if anything her crying became worse but it did rouse the attention of their Uncle Jack, who came out to see what was wrong. Uncle Jack took the two of them into his house and he cleaned up the grazes that were on Lauren's hands and knees. He also wiped away her tears and kissed the boo boo's better after covering each one with a Sesame Street plaster that he kept for occasions just like this. Uncle Jack could see how worried Joey was, knowing that the little boy had had the best of intentions and wasn't at fault for Lauren getting hurt so he tried to reassure him that everything would be okay.

Unfortunately the parents weren't quite as understanding and Joey received another smack for his efforts. It was another thing Lauren felt guilty for later in her life as she knew JoJo had only been trying to be a good friend to her. He was her best friend and he didn't deserve to be told off like he had been. All he was doing was stopping her from being sad and helping her ride her birthday present. A present that was now slightly bent out of shape and scratched... much like its owner.

*JL*JL*

The summer holiday when Lauren was four was her bestest holiday ever! And Joey agreed with her on this fact too. It was their first foreign holiday and the two families had gone to Spain, hiring a villa for them all to share. The villa even had a pool – which was where Joey and Lauren were looking forward to spending pretty much all of their time... or the time they were allowed to anyway. Lauren and Joey would be sharing a room in the villa, while their younger sisters were in another room together as well. Joey and Lauren had sat next to each other on the plane (with Lauren's daddy) – their first ever flights on planes and Lauren was very scared. Actually Joey was too but he'd never admit that to anyone and especially not Lauren. When Lauren asked if Joey would hold her hand as the plane was about to take off Joey agreed readily, having spent the last couple of minutes wondering how he could ask her without appearing like a sissy. Lauren squeezed his hand so tightly as the engines roared to life and then the wheels left the ground and she looked at him with fear (and tears) in her eyes. Joey found the pain she was causing him gave him something else to focus on, something other than the slight fear of the unknown so he was glad his little cousin was there.

There was another slight downside to the whole holiday it transpired a few hours later... the food. Neither Joey nor Lauren liked much of the food that was on offer when they went out for a meal on that first evening. The only thing they would happily eat was the pudding... everything else was a bit yucky (in their opinion). So from the next day onwards the food was prepared at the villa. Barbecues were the order of the day, either cooked by Lauren or Joey's daddies.

It was the first of these many evening meals when Lauren saw the true little boy that was Joey come out rather than the person she looked up to as some kind of idol. Her auntie had made pancakes for them for pudding and she'd put various sauces for them to use on the table. There was only her and Joey at the table now as no one else wanted any pudding (Abi and Alice were already in bed, having had their tea much earlier). Lauren hadn't had pancakes for pudding before and she was a little lost as to what to do with the sauces so she watched Joey intently, waiting to see what he did. It was clear to her that Joey knew what he was doing so his mummy obviously did this for him often. She watched as he picked up the bottle of syrup and turned it upside down and squeezed a generous amount over the pancakes on his plate. Lauren slid her plate towards him and he glanced at her, smiling widely before repeating his action with the syrup on her plate too. He placed the bottle back on the table and picked up the cream spray. She had to bite her lip to stop herself from smiling as he shook the can enthusiastically. Then he started to squirt the cream over his plate. The look of concentration on his face made her smile (she was unable to hide it even if she wanted to) as he piled the cream in a mountain on his (and then her) plate. He pushed the plate back towards her and Lauren picked up her cutlery, glancing one last time at Joey as he began to tuck in his, almost as if he hadn't just had a full meal. Lauren had to admit she struggled with her pudding – not because it wasn't nice because it was... but more due the size of it after Joey had overloaded it with cream and syrup. Joey, however finished his in the space of about five minutes and then sat there, eyeing up hers as well. Lauren eventually gave up, beaten by it and let Joey eat the rest of it... and she didn't gloat at all when he was sick during the night... nope, not at all. Well, okay maybe just a little bit.

The pool was one of their favourite places to play while on holiday. It was something that just Joey and Lauren could do as Alice and Abi were deemed too young (and small) to be in there too. One of their daddies had to be outside with them though... if Joey and Lauren were lucky they would join them in the pool. A couple of times whichever daddy was there would take it in turns to throw them up in the air so they landed back in the water with a splash. Of course, if their mummies were around, this was a definite no-no but it did happen a couple of times. Joey and Lauren thought it was so much fun.

By the end of the two weeks both Joey and Lauren didn't want to go home – especially Lauren (partly due to the fact it meant getting on a plane again). The trip home was made slightly better by the fact that Joey held her hand again when the plane took off and just half an hour after Lauren sat in her seat she was asleep. When she woke up two hours later she found Joey was still holding her hand as he slept in the seat next to her. She smiled and closed her eyes again, squeezing his hand slightly before going back to sleep.

*JL*JL*

When Lauren started proper school there was a horrible boy in her class. His name was Jason and he would pull her plaits every time he walked past her desk. He was much bigger than she was and faster than her too which meant it was difficult for her to get back at him for what he did. There were a couple of times when she got shoved to one side in the playground as well, although those times might have been accidental. Anyway Lauren detested him more and more. As the days turned into weeks she found she was growing to hate school because of Jason and his bullying ways. She didn't tell anyone though, not even JoJo, because she didn't want to admit to being upset by this stupid boy. She didn't want JoJo to realise she was a girl and for him to stop wanting to play with her anymore.

The whole situation came to a head when, during lunch break one day, Lauren was playing with a couple of her friends and Jason came over to them, pushing her backwards so she fell down the grass embankment and ending up sprawled on the tarmac with an almighty thud. For a while she was slightly dazed and she didn't know what was going on. Her head really hurt and she had to bite her lip to stop herself from crying. She couldn't cry because that would make her a baby... and a girl.

Then she heard Joey's voice, it sounded a long way away but it was all she could hear besides the rapid thudding of her heart. Someone was holding her hand too and she just knew that was Joey as well. She struggled to open her eyes but everything was blurry and she was sure she moaned slightly. It was Joey's face she tried to focus on, recognising him even through the blur. After a couple of minutes her vision cleared a little and there was his face, so filled with worry, staring down at her. She squeezed his hand tightly and he smiled at her lopsidedly. Her teacher appeared the other side of her but Lauren couldn't pay attention to what was said... she still felt a bit strange. She closed her eyes again and almost opened them when Joey let go of her hand. Then she was moving and she did open them. JoJo was carrying her back into the school building and she rested her aching head on his shoulder.

Joey's daddy turned up at the school and found them both in the school nurse's office. Joey wouldn't leave her once he'd placed her on the bed and he was now holding her hand again. It was only when her uncle arrived that Lauren realised Joey's face was a little red around his left eye but she was too tired to ask him what had happened. Five minutes after Uncle Derek arrived she found out that Joey had shouted at Jason for shoving Lauren over and causing her to get hurt and Jason had hit Joey. Needless to say Uncle Derek wasn't pleased (with the school rather than Joey) and was making a lot of noise about it. Lauren screwed her eyes shut and cradled her head in her hands as the pain intensified. Joey brushed her back with his hand soothingly and while it made her feel a little better, it was shortly after this that Lauren began to throw up.

One ambulance ride later Lauren was at the hospital, with her uncle and cousin in tow, getting checked over by a doctor. They were told she had concussion (although Lauren didn't know what that meant) and she would be staying in the hospital at least overnight for observation. Her mummy and daddy arrived not long after that and Lauren was the centre of attention for both her parents, which made the horribleness of having to stay at the hospital a little less scary. Her mummy and daddy were with her for some time and her daddy held her in his arms as she slowly drifted to sleep.

It turned out Lauren was kept in hospital two nights as the doctor was reluctant to let her go when she told him she could see two of him the next morning. Lauren was a bit put out by this but felt a little better when two Joey's arrived after school that day and gave her two teddy bears. Okay, actually it was only one Joey and one teddy bear but Lauren was still seeing double of everything and her head hurt _a lot_. Joey's mummy had to take Alice out of the room (after Alice threw a tantrum) because she was making too much noise for Lauren and the other patients but JoJo stayed with her and he told her to get some sleep because then she would get better and be allowed to go home. Always one to follow Joey's instructions she lay down in her bed, cuddling the beloved teddy she now had and closed her eyes so she could try to sleep. She jumped slightly as she felt Joey take her hand in his as he sat beside her bed and she opened her eyes, staring at him before whispering that she couldn't sleep, her head hurt too badly. Joey climbed onto her bed and pulled her into his arms, putting her head on his shoulder as he began to brush his fingers gently through her long hair. Lauren closed her eyes again and lost herself in the sound of his heartbeat; focusing on that instead of the noise surrounding them and the pounding in her head. She curled up on his lap, leaning against him and sucking on her thumb and after about five minutes she was asleep.

*JL*JL*

Joey watched Lauren as she finally fell asleep at the hospital. He thought back to just over twenty four hours earlier, remembering seeing Lauren being pushed backwards onto the tarmac playground behind her from across the playing field. His heart had literally stopped in those few seconds to be quickly replaced by a surge of anger as he saw the boy from her class laughing at what he had done. He ran as fast as he could over to where she lay, seeing her not responding as people began to swarm around her. His anger overtook his worry briefly and he shouted at the small boy, stepping towards him menacingly but the boy thrashed out (with a lucky punch) and caught his cheek before being dragged away by one of the teachers. Joey's attention was then on his cousin and he was desperate to be with her. It had probably been about three minutes since she'd fallen by that point and she hadn't moved at all. He pushed through the people around her so he was right at her side, speaking to her softly and trying to get her to open her (beautiful) eyes. He held her hand, squeezing it tightly and then her eyes fluttered open and she was looking at him, moaning 'JoJo' softly as she came to. She wasn't responding to him though when he spoke to her and he could see the confusion on her face although she squeezed his hand tightly. Despite her teacher's protests, Joey picked her up in his arms and carried her into the school and through to the nurse's office – mainly because he simply didn't trust anyone else to look after LoLo the way he knew he could. And he wouldn't leave her... his protectiveness of his younger cousin stood out sharply for anyone who saw them.

Joey had seen the way Lauren's face screwed up in pain as his daddy started shouting at the head teacher and nurse and Joey tried to soothe her by brushing his hand down her back. He'd done that before when she had flu last winter and it had helped her feel better (she'd told him) while they'd watched some Christmas movies on the TV. It seemed to help at the school as well... until she started throwing up. He wasn't sure he could describe how he felt when he went in the ambulance with Lauren. His daddy was following in the car and the school was contacting his aunt and uncle so there was only him to go with Lauren and he hadn't let go of her hand the whole trip, although he was fairly sure Lauren wasn't aware of any of this. He had wanted to stay with her once they were at the hospital but one of the nurses took him to a different room and he waited for his daddy there. His daddy seemed just as concerned about Lauren as Joey was and when he took Joey's hand and they walked into the room where Lauren was lying, his daddy had squeezed his hand tightly, which actually made Joey feel much better. He hadn't understood what the doctor was saying but he stood by Lauren and his free hand found its way into hers again, as if by magic. Once his auntie and uncle arrived, Joey and his daddy left and Joey got to sit in the front of the car all the way home. His daddy had told him how proud he was of him for looking after his cousin like he had done. Joey was given five pounds by his daddy that evening at tea time for being a good boy.

When his mummy picked him up from school the next day Joey asked if they could go and see Lauren. She told him Lauren was still in the hospital and Joey said he wanted to see her. He knew she must be feeling lonely there on her own. His mum relented, although she would later regret that decision slightly when Alice threw a tantrum about not being allowed out of her pushchair. Joey had pulled the money from his daddy out of his school bag, along with the last two months pocket money and when they walked past the shop on the ground floor of the hospital, he asked if he could go and buy Lauren something. His mummy had said yes so Joey went into the shop on his own and as soon as he saw the teddy bear he knew he had to get it for Lauren. He knew she would love it. He had grabbed it off the shelf and gone to the till, placing all of his money on the side and counting it out for the old lady behind the counter. He was in luck, he had enough money... in fact he had three pounds left, so he brought himself a packet of Pokemon cards too, shoving them in his bag along with his change as he walked back out of the shop. He didn't see the small smile on his mummy's face as she saw what he had purchased and they walked up to the children's ward. Joey sat beside the bed once they were there and he passed the teddy bear to her, seeing her smile and hug it tightly. He didn't miss the pained look on her face when his sister began to scream and once her and his mummy was gone, Joey knew he needed to do something. So here he was with Lauren curled up on his lap, brushing his fingers through her hair. He looked down at her face and saw she was sucking her thumb (something he knew she only did when she wasn't feeling her best) and clutching the teddy bear. His hand lifted and he brushed some of her hair back from her face, tucking it gently behind her ear as she slept. The two of them sat there for a long time... it wasn't until his auntie and uncle came into the room and his Uncle Max lifted Lauren into his arms that Joey had to move off the bed.

He was very pleased when he found out that Lauren was allowed home the next morning... although she wouldn't be back at school for several more days and they wouldn't be able to play together either. He did see her every now and again though and when he did, they watched Disney movies while she lay on the couch, her head lying on his lap as he brushed his fingers through her hair.

TBC

**A/N: Can I just say... he did the HAIR THING! Happy days... Let me know what you thought about this chapter. Back tomorrow with the remainder of the prequel.**


	3. Chapter 3: Family Portrait

**So here is the second (and last) part of the prequel... and it's a much longer one today as well. Yesterday's half was mainly from Lauren's POV (with a bit of Joey thrown in) and today is mainly from Joey's - although there is some Lauren in there too. They're older in this chapter and some things arise in their lives that are harder for them to handle but the fact they have each other makes things a little easier to cope with.  
**

**Chapter 3: Family Portrait.**

When Joey was ten, his world was turned completely upside down. His family was moving and he was distraught. He didn't want to leave Walford but he didn't have any choice in the matter. He was used to having the whole family around. He liked that Lauren only lived a few houses away from him and they could walk to and from school together. Now they were moving to somewhere called Nottingham because his mummy's mummy (Nanny Linda) was poorly and his mummy needed to look after her. And his daddy was staying in Walford while Joey and Alice went with their mummy until Nanny Linda was better.

He clearly remembered Lauren's face the first time he'd seen her after they'd found out. She was as heartbroken as Joey was and he had hated seeing the tears welling in her eyes. The day they left was one of the hardest Joey had ever experienced. Even though they were only leaving for about six months and would probably be back in the summer, it felt like he was leaving forever. His daddy was driving the three of them up to Nanny Linda's house and was going to stay for the weekend to help mummy get things sorted out for when Nanny Linda came home from the hospital the following week. His daddy would then come up some of the weekends so he could see Joey and Alice and help mummy too.

The whole family had gathered in the square to see them off. Everyone looked upset that they were leaving but it was the look on Lauren's face that made Joey the saddest. Lauren had hugged him tightly the night before when they were playing in Lauren's room while his parents packed away the last of the things they were taking. She'd quite rightly said he wouldn't want anyone to see him being upset the next day... he was a boy after all. There was a part of him that wished he could get another hug from her now though. Her daddy was holding her in his arms, tears falling down her face as she watched JoJo, Alice and his mummy say goodbye to everyone. He got in the car, turning slightly so he could see Lauren out of the back window. She was watching him carefully, her eyes locked on his and Joey couldn't help but stare back at her. His daddy started the engine and the sound made Joey's heart lurch. Then the car was moving and still he looked at Lauren through the window, even though his daddy kept telling him to sit in his seat properly. He watched her for as long as he could; seeing her hand waving goodbye. He turned back in his seat once they were out of the square and furiously wiped his eyes, trying to hide the tears from his family. He looked straight ahead and saw his daddy glancing back in the rear view mirror. He knew his daddy had seen he was crying and for the first time in a long time, he didn't care if that wasn't what big boys did. He wasn't scared to admit he was going to miss his LoLo (and everyone else).

*JL*JL*

His daddy came up to see them every other weekend. Joey found he missed his daddy more than he thought he would... not as much as he did Lauren (obviously) but it was difficult to see his daddy leave on Sunday afternoon which surprised him. Joey wasn't enjoying living in Nottingham. He hated his school. He hadn't made any friends... no one quite lived up to Lauren as far as he was concerned. And he missed Lauren a lot. Every minute was pretty much a constant reminder of the fact she wasn't there. His mummy had tried to cheer him up but nothing she did helped.

It was the Easter break and his daddy was due to arrive in an hour. Joey found himself looking forward to it. Nanny Linda was still pretty sick and his mummy had to look after her a lot so Joey was stuck with looking after Alice – which was still one of his least favourite things to do. Despite the fact his sister was a little older now, she still annoyed the hell out of him and he was getting to the point where he didn't want to be around her at all, never mind with her all the time.

He heard his daddy's car pull onto the driveway and he ran to the front door. As soon as the door was open he froze. He couldn't really be seeing what he was seeing. He saw his daddy opening the back door of the car and then there she was. LoLo was standing right there. On the driveway. She smiled at him impishly and called out 'surprise'. Then she was hugging him tightly and Joey couldn't help the tears that welled in his eyes as he was reminded again what it was about his cousin that he had missed so much.

*JL*JL*

His daddy (and Lauren) were staying for the week and Joey had never been so grateful to his parents for letting her visit. Lauren was sleeping on a camp bed in his room and that first night she was there they had talked for several hours after they were supposed to be asleep. She told him she was missing him as much as he was missing her. Joey slept the best he had since leaving Walford that night. And he woke up with a smile on his face.

On the evening of her first full day at the house they had pizza for tea and Joey's mummy had made Lauren a birthday cake (to make up for the fact Joey hadn't been able to celebrate her seventh birthday with her on the actual day). Lauren had such a large smile on her face when Joey told her to make a wish and blow out the candles. He never did find out what her wish was.

The two of them played in the garden every day for the whole week. Joey's daddy had put up a tent in the garden and they had turned it into a den. While they were hidden away from everyone else Joey asked Lauren how school was and she revealed that Jason had finally stopped picking on her and she smiled at him, knowing this was in part due to the fact Joey had shown her how to defend herself after the incident where she'd ended up in hospital. Apparently Jason had been pretty shocked when she'd punched him in the stomach one day after he pulled her hair really hard she told him. After that he steered well clear of her and for that Joey was grateful. Lauren looked so pleased with herself and Joey hugged her and told her how proud of her he was. They camped that night in the tent and after Joey spent an hour telling Lauren ghost stories she was so scared she started to cry and they ended up sharing his sleeping bag (because she wanted to go inside otherwise) and he slept with his arms around her. It gave him flashbacks of that afternoon in the hospital but it was so much better – although she really fidgeted. He didn't get much sleep that night... but he didn't regret it. He had his LoLo back.

*JL*JL*

Nanny Linda died in July of that year so Joey's return to Walford was later than he'd anticipated. His daddy came up to Nottingham just before she died though and he stayed with them until they went home. It was a strange time for both Joey and Alice. They hadn't really known Nanny Linda very much prior to her being sick, having only really met her since she'd come out of hospital. Joey had only seen her two or three times before they'd moved to live with her. She had been a nice lady though and both children could see how upset their mummy was by her illness and then death. Mummy had often started crying for no reason in those last couple of weeks and had snapped at them both, even if they'd done nothing wrong. Things were a little easier when daddy came and he was there for mummy.

Joey was really looking forward to returning to their home. He had missed Lauren and he was looking forward to spending time with her over the summer. He could barely stay still in his seat on the drive back to Walford. By the time they'd got back to the square it was pretty late at night and he was packed off to his bed.

He woke up the next morning and just about managed to get through breakfast without bouncing off his chair with excitement or eating so fast he made himself sick. He'd expected Lauren would turn up on their doorstep that morning. He had to unpack his things so he wasn't allowed to go around to hers until the house was back in order (his mummy was still a bit cranky so he was trying to keep her happy) but he'd thought Lauren would've come over as soon as she realised he was home. But she hadn't. And she didn't in the afternoon either. Joey was pretty confused by the end of the day and he didn't sleep very well that night, worrying that he'd done something to offend her.

The next day they went over to Uncle Max's for tea, the whole family was there to welcome them back and Joey discovered the reason for Lauren's absence... and he didn't like it one little bit. Or maybe I should say, he didn't like her one little bit. You see, the reason for Lauren not being at his house was because she had a new best friend. Joey was no longer needed... because she had a brand new friend called Lucy Beale. Lucy had moved to the square with her twin brother during the Easter holidays and now both of them were friends with Lauren, being the same age as her and going to school with her. Joey's nose was truly bent out of shape by this. Lucy was even there at that first family gathering and he'd taken an instant dislike to the girl... he could see her staring at him and he heard the whispered comments she made to Lauren – who wouldn't even come near him. He went home after being there an hour, telling his daddy that he didn't feel well (which he didn't, so it wasn't a lie) and he sulked in his bed for the rest of the day.

*JL*JL*

Joey found that Lauren had changed a lot since he'd seen her at Easter. She was no longer the little tomboy who would follow him around, hanging on his every word. She'd started wearing dresses and skirts and would play with dolls and other girly things... because that was what Lucy liked to do. She was changing and she didn't need Joey anymore because she had friends of her own and Joey hated it. He didn't want her to be a mini-Lucy... he liked the girl she was beforehand and he couldn't understand why she wanted to change so much. Joey would sit and watch them from afar, wondering how it all had gone so wrong. Joey was a pretty unhappy little boy by this stage and it was only when he returned to school and re-established his friendships with the boys from his class that he resumed being his usual happy-go-lucky self, if very slightly tarnished by his cousin's rejection. His parents noticed the change in him and they suspected it had something to do with the fact Lauren rarely came over to the house anymore but once he was back at school they stopped worrying about him quite so much because he seemed happier again. Or maybe he was just hiding it better... because he wasn't happier at all.

*JL*JL*

It would be nice to say that things returned to normal over the next few weeks once Joey returned to the square but it would be a lie. Everything was different now. Lauren no longer came over to their house after school when her mummy was working... she would go to play with Lucy instead. The only times Joey ever really saw Lauren was when the family came over to his house... and that didn't happen that often. The other time was the family holiday they had where their two families would go away for two weeks, like they had done every year of Lauren's life.

This year was different though... Lauren included Alice and Abi in everything her and Joey did, so Joey had no time where it was just him and Lauren anymore. As a result he hadn't really enjoyed this holiday either.

Things remained the same between them for two years in fact. Everything changed in the September when Joey was thirteen. It had started with a knock on their front door early one morning, the weekend after Joey's birthday. His mum had opened the door and Lauren was standing there holding her dad's hand. He had Abi in his arms. Both girls had small cases with them. Joey was confused with what was going on but because he didn't usually hang around with his sister or cousins anymore so he disappeared up to his room without getting any information.

He had been in his room for about forty minutes when there was a timid knock on his door and when he yanked it open Lauren was standing in the doorway. He looked at her properly for the first time in weeks and he saw the shadows under her eyes and the paleness of her skin. He stepped back and silently waved her into his room. She stood awkwardly in the middle of the room, much like she would do again seven years later as Joey shoved things out of the way and hurriedly pulled his duvet back over his bed. He sat on the bed and looked at her again, startled to find there were tears rolling down her face. He whispered her name (LoLo) and then she was moving towards him, letting him pull her onto his lap and hug her tightly. Neither of them spoke for some time, apart from the odd murmuring of her name as he brushed his hand up and down her back. Sometimes she would sob the word JoJo into his neck... was it wrong that hearing her say that name made him happy? It was the first time she'd called him that in a very long time and he now realised he'd missed it. He eventually managed to ascertain that her parents were having problems... they'd been rowing a lot throughout the summer, although Joey hadn't really noticed it when they were on holiday... then the night before the row had been huge, Lauren had been sitting on the stairs with Abi, listening to the two of them screaming at each other. Abi had been inconsolable but Lauren had been strong for her and tried to soothe her. She told him that all she'd wanted to do was come over to see him and have him hold her like he was now because she knew that would make her feel better. Abi had slept in her bed with her that night, Lauren listening as her parents continued to bicker between themselves. Lauren hadn't slept but she'd pretended to be asleep when her mummy came into their room and had packed some clothes for the two of them. Lauren hadn't known what that meant until she got up this morning. They were staying at Joey's while her parents sorted things out although Lauren wasn't sure what that meant or how long it would take. While a lot of the arguments had just been shouting and screaming at each other Lauren had heard enough to know that her daddy was with another woman. Admitting this to Joey brought on another bout of tears and she finally asked him if it was because of her. Did her daddy not love her anymore so he'd found someone else and this woman was going to be his new family instead of her mummy and them. Joey tried to reassure her that everything would be okay but to be honest he was as confused as she was. He had no idea why his Uncle Max would have someone else... him and Auntie Tanya had always seemed so happy with each other. He also told her it was nothing her or Abi had done... this was definitely something between her parents.

*JL*JL*

Abi and Lauren had stayed with Joey and his family for almost two weeks while their parents tried to sort out their marriage. At the end of that time Lauren's daddy had moved out of the house and moved in with Uncle Jack. Lauren was particularly devastated by these events and it had taken some time for Joey to calm her down once her mummy and daddy had spoken to her and Abi. Once Uncle Max had moved out, Lauren and Abi went back home and things almost went back to how they'd been before.

But there were several notable changes. Despite the horrific circumstances surrounding it, the friendship and closeness between Joey and Lauren was re-instated... it was almost like it had never been gone. This had been helped by the lack of understanding from Lucy (whose parents had split when she was just a small girl and therefore she couldn't understand why Lauren was so devastated by what was happening). So Lauren had naturally turned to the one person she could rely on in her life; Joey. And JoJo was there for her, like she knew he always would be.

Even when Lauren had returned to her family (albeit tattered family) home, Joey hadn't been pushed aside. He was now part of Lauren's group of friends and although he hated having to spend so much time with Lucy (and Peter... who Joey thought was a waste of space), he relished the time he was spending with Lauren again. Now though there was much more time when it was just Joey and Lauren... when she didn't want to be around Lucy and her little remarks... when she wanted to just be herself again... even if she had hit that awkward gawky age where she didn't really know what to do with herself.

The following summer Lauren and Abi had gone on holiday with Joey's family. They hadn't known at the time but her parents were in the midst of getting back together again, Lauren's mummy having forgiven her dad. Joey and Lauren had spent the two weeks riding their bikes together, swimming in the pool and play fighting like only children that age could. It had been two of the best weeks they'd ever spent together.

*JL*JL*

Lauren was hardly enthusiastic when she got home from her holiday and found that her dad had moved back in. She'd turned around and walked back out of the house with her case, dragging it down the stairs and over to Joey's house, refusing to go home for three days. Abi had thought it was a dream come true for her parents to reunite. Lauren just watched quietly and waited for it to happen all over again. I don't suppose I need to tell you which daughter was right, do I?

*JL*JL*

By Christmas Lauren's mum was pregnant and again this was met with a distinct lack of excitement from their eldest daughter; although Abi more than made up for her sister's lack of enthusiasm. The winter months found Lauren spending even more time at Joey's house than the previous summer had. Even though they saw less of each other now, being as they were at different schools there was still a lot they had in common with each other. And Lauren found she liked to hide at Joey's house when things at home got too difficult.

Also her friendship with Lucy was at a low point as she'd made friends with another girl in the year above them at school. Her name was Whitney but Lauren wasn't keen on her and the feeling was pretty mutual. The two girls had also started hanging out with a couple of boys. They lived near Whitney and she was in the same class as the youngest brother, Anthony. His elder brother was the same age as Joey although Lauren had never asked him if Tyler went to the same school as he did.

Home life wasn't much fun either. Her mum was one big walking hormone and quite often would shout at Lauren for no apparent reason. Her dad tried to tell her it was just the baby doing wacky things to her body but Lauren wasn't so sure. She couldn't help thinking that her mum didn't like her very much. She'd tried to speak to Joey about it a week or so ago but he'd told her she was being silly so she'd quickly shut up.

*JL*JL*

Lauren's baby brother was born in May... amid plenty of drama as her dad delivered him in their lounge. Lauren wasn't sure she would ever be able to look at that couch again in the same way. So now she not only had a sister but a screaming baby brother too. It was Abi that named him. Oscar... what kind of name is that anyway?

Lauren spent very little time at home over the next couple of weeks. She wanted as little as possible to do with any of them. And the really sad thing was no one said anything about it. They either didn't notice or just didn't care. Which made Lauren want to be there even less.

Joey noticed though. He could see how unhappy she was and he tried to get her to talk to him but she wouldn't open up. Instead she'd just come round his house after school, quietly do her homework, stay for tea and then go home in time for bed. He was growing more worried about her as the days went by.

*JL*JL*

Joey had invited Lauren over for the evening. His parents were taking Alice out as a treat so he was going to be on his own. Oscar was now nearly six months old and Lauren was still avoiding being at home, although not quite as often as it had been when he was first born. Something was still bothering her though, he knew it. He just couldn't work out what it was and he couldn't get her to talk to him and tell him what was wrong.

She turned up on his doorstep straight after school, as was usually the case and they did their homework together. His parents left for the night, taking his sister with them. He asked her if she was hungry and she shrugged her shoulders. He sighed and she looked up at his face, frowning slightly when she saw him staring at her. He got up from his seat and walked around to where she sat, kneeling next to her chair. He was silent for a couple of minutes, until she looked him and asked him what was wrong. He took her hand in his and tugged on it gently so she turned to face him and he took both her hands in his. He asked her to talk to him, to tell him what was wrong. His questions didn't work, it wasn't until he resorted to whispering his childhood name for her that he got any response and then he was stunned when he saw tears rolling down her face. In between the tears and the all-out sobbing she told him she had seen her dad with another woman. He tried to tell her it could be perfectly innocent but one sharp glance from her and he fell silent. Joey reached up and pushed her hair behind her ear, his thumb brushing across his cheek and wiping away some of the tears. She whispered to him that she had seen him two or three times with the same woman and the last time they had been kissing. Lauren told him that she didn't know what to do. She didn't want to be the reason for her family being torn apart again. Joey couldn't hold back any longer, he pulled her against his body, wrapping his arms around her and hugging her tightly. She buried her head in his chest and began to cry much harder. The last time Joey had seen her like this was when her parents had split up but this seemed so much worse. The truth of the matter was Joey knew Lauren was a daddy's girl and to know what he was doing was a huge reality check for her and keeping it a secret was a lot of pressure on her shoulders. Without thinking about it he turned his head slightly and kissed the top of her head, breathing in the all too familiar scent of her hair. This wasn't the first time he'd done this... it was a fairly regular occurrence, especially when Lauren was upset but it was different this time; this time something stirred within him and it left him feeling confused. He pushed those feelings aside, not wanting to allow himself to feel that way. Now wasn't the time for it. He had to concentrate on making his cousin; his best friend, feel better.

Joey pulled her away from him slightly and stared at her face. She'd calmed down quite a lot since he'd hugged her and he could see the slight smile on her face as she stared into his eyes. He suggested they watch a movie. He'd brought popcorn and chocolate on the way home from school and seeing the way her face lit up at the suggestion, he knew he'd made the right choice. He readied the munchies, leaving her to choose the movie. When he came back he saw she'd picked Ocean's Thirteen and he smiled, knowing she'd only picked it because of the actors in it. They sat on the couch and she leant against him, her head lying on his chest as they watched the movie. Joey tried not to notice how right it felt for them to sit like this. He ignored the strange sensations when their fingers brushed in the bowl of popcorn and how running his fingers through her hair to soothe her had the same effect on him too.

*JL*JL*

The summer when Joey was fifteen was an awkward time for him. He'd had a growth spurt since Christmas then at the beginning of the summer holidays his life turned even more miserable. His voice started to break which was humiliating enough but add in the mortification of his sister and Lauren teasing him about it and he wished he could hide from the rest of the world and wait till it was all over. It was as a result of his hiding that he overheard a conversation between his mum and aunt. At the time he had thought he could use what he heard to tease Lauren, to get her back for how she'd been teasing him but in the end he decided it wasn't worth it and he should be a grown up. He was coming down the stairs from his room and the two women were in the kitchen and he paused when he heard Lauren's name mentioned. He was surprised when his aunt started talking about Lauren getting her first period. Obviously he knew what that was but knowing that and associating it with his younger cousin was something he couldn't quite get his head around. It seemed both of them were growing up quickly at the moment and it was a lot to take in.

*JL*JL*

Another stark reminder of Lauren growing up became evident during the family summer holiday just a few weeks later. And it led to yet more embarrassment for Joey and a grim realisation on his part. It's strange don't you think, how you can sometimes just not notice something. Even if it's something you see every day of your life and then suddenly its slap bang in front of you and then it's all you can see... And what was it Joey had noticed you may ask. Well, despite seeing her every day, he had somehow failed to notice that her body had changed over the last few months. How he hadn't seen this, he couldn't say because as soon as he saw for the first time, it was pretty much the only thing his eyes wanted to focus on. It wasn't helped by the fact that the first time he noticed it she was in a red bikini that accentuated every curve she now apparently possessed and she looked... well, stunning isn't really an adequate enough description. It definitely had an impact on Joey... in fact a certain part of his anatomy paid particular attention and caused him no end of embarrassment in the process. He was in the swimming pool at the time which was helpful as it hid his predicament somewhat but seeing as his cousins and sister were about to join him in the pool, his relief was short-lived. As they started to jump into the pool and make their way over to him he panicked slightly and swam away from them, spending the next twenty minutes doing lengths of the pool while he tried to divert his mind onto more mundane matters... like not looking at Lauren's chest. Once he'd composed himself he swam over to the girls again but had to try and maintain some distance from Lauren until he had had a chance to think about what had just happened.

*JL*JL*

Joey lay in bed that night, pondering the way he had reacted to seeing his cousin in her swimwear. He still couldn't quite get his head around it. For research purposes (obviously) he had found himself looking at other girls around the pool... you know, ones he's not related to and known since the day they were born... but none of them had affected him in the same way Lauren had. Yes, he could admit they were pretty... some of them were gorgeous but it just took one brief glance at Lauren in her bikini and Joey was _affected_. Okay, he was aroused... there was no getting around it. The sight of his twelve year old cousin turned him on. He was officially fucked... or not, as the case may be. He wasn't sure which part of that admission made him feel the worst. The part where he admitted it was his cousin who turned him on... or the fact she was just twelve years old.

He thought back to the previous winter... that night when the two of them had watched the film together after Lauren had broken down in tears and admitted to knowing that her dad was cheating on her mum again. In hindsight he could now see that was the first time being close to her had affected him. That time it had been the smell of her hair and the feel of her in his arms. He'd been able to hide from it then... but it was impossible for him to do that now. Now his own body betrayed him each time his thoughts meandered in her direction. He groaned softly as he felt the telltale whisper of arousal start again. Would this ever end? And more to the point, did he want it to?

*JL*JL*

The morning after the night before was another humiliating first for Joey. To wake up from a very non-PG dream and find you're completely aroused was not what he'd been expecting at all. There was no swimming lengths backwards and forwards this time for him. He was going to have to deal with this... with a hands-on approach, if you will. He ran his hand down his chest and slipped it inside his boxers, literally sighing as his fingers wrapped around his hard length. He kept his thoughts very firmly on the task at hand, stroking himself and trying to reach his peak and end this angst. After more minutes than he would like to admit he sighed... what he was doing wasn't working. There was a soft knock at the door and Lauren said through the door that breakfast was ready. The sound of her voice had him gasping as his fingers tightened and moved a little faster. He inhaled sharply and she must've heard the slight yelp that went with it because she asked him if he was okay. He answered her but what he actually said to her would forever remain a mystery. She said she'd meet him downstairs and then he heard her walk away. He stared at the door and without making the decision, her face appeared in his thoughts and he came in his boxers and over his hand. He lay in the bed, breathing heavily as he tried to calm himself. He couldn't believe what he'd just done. He felt dirty and ashamed and more than anything disgusted with himself for using his own cousin as a way to get his rocks off.

*JL*JL*

Joey would like to be able to say that was the last time he jerked off to thoughts of his cousin but waking up in that fashion became a daily occurrence. He tried to not think of Lauren to get some relief... he really did. He even brought a smutty magazine and used that as inspiration instead but it was a short-lived hope because his brain seemed insistent that Lauren be in his thoughts. He found his brain would alter the images he was looking at and put her head on the body... and while it looked wrong and not like his cousin at all, it was enough to get him off. After a week of trying to use the magazine as a distraction he gave up and threw it away. The fact his mum had been in his room, clearing up his mess and retrieving dirty clothes and some stray mugs may have also had an effect on his decision to destroy the evidence. The last thing he wanted was for her to start asking questions about why he had a dirty magazine in his suitcase. Once he didn't have those images to use, his thoughts naturally turned towards Lauren and despite the fact he knew it was wrong and he hated himself for doing it, he had to admit she was the only thing that seemed to work anyway.

By the end of the holiday he found he was able to control himself around her, as long as he'd relieved himself in the morning – and again when he went to bed. If it became a real issue between times he would find a way to go to his room and do it then as well. He felt like a dirty old man... but really he was just a growing boy who was struggling to deal with the way his body was behaving. Also by the end of the holiday he had, subtly, taken the opportunity to really take in what she looked like. It still surprised him that she could change so drastically and he hadn't realised. After all he saw her all the time and yes, okay, he didn't see her in what was essentially her underwear but they had a close relationship, they spent a lot of time together. They would often hug each other and she would lean against him, practically lie on him as they sat watching TV... how could he miss _them_ appearing? This was something that would never become any clearer for Joey Branning.

*JL*JL*

The morning (and evening) routine didn't change once they returned to Walford, although he was now usually saved from having to relieve himself in between those times. Now he'd given up any pretence of not using Lauren as his inspiration though. She was his constant 'go to' girl... she was the only thing that worked for him. And the more he did it, the more he began to think it wasn't strange, or wrong.

That all changed the first morning he woke up and realised he'd been dreaming of her... of doing things with her. Then his shame and self-disgust returned with a vengeance. He was a disgusting individual.

He decided there and then that he was done with this. He wouldn't resort to degrading his cousin this way anymore.

That lasted approximately thirty hours... then he woke up, the remnants of a pretty erotic dream still in his thoughts and he realised he'd come in his sleep; as he dreamt, once again, about her. He was doomed to failure.

*JL*JL*

Lauren couldn't remember the first time she realised she liked Joey... and she didn't mean just plain liking him. She meant 'like like', you know? She actually sat down one Saturday and looked back through her diaries, trying to find a clue as to when her feelings changed exactly. She was fourteen now... and he was seventeen and just about to start the last year of his A-levels. It took a lot of thinking before she could admit it to herself. And it wasn't until some photos fell out of the front of her current diary that she realised. In the photo she was standing with Joey and their sisters, her and Joey in the centre of the image. The four of them were standing in the pool on a sunny day. Looking at the picture Lauren thought she was probably eleven or twelve but she wasn't definite. That would make it round about the time when she just started finding out about boys.

Then she realised this wasn't the first time... it went further back than that. The previous winter to when the photo was taken in fact... and it was before she knew anything about 'the birds and the bees' and what that meant. It was the evening when she's opened up to Joey and told him about her dad's affair (which had been revealed in the middle of Christmas dinner, just a few weeks later but that's a whole other story) and she had broken down while he hugged her. It was the first time she'd felt the strength in his arms... she'd noticed the way he smelt as she buried her face in his jumper. She had fallen for him that evening... the feelings she'd had for him had intensified to what they were now from that point onwards. She had always felt intense feelings when it came to her cousin. Initially it had been friendship... rapidly changing into hero worship and then morphing into love... until she ended up in her current position.

She was scared about the way she felt for him. She knew in her heart she shouldn't feel this way about her cousin. It was wrong. And there was no way he would feel the same way about her. Not when he could be going out with any girl he wanted. In fact, she'd met some of his girlfriends. She knew them as they were in the same year as him at school. And they were all the same; tall, blonde, stick thin and sickeningly beautiful. In other words... exactly the opposite of her. She wasn't exactly sure what it was about them that Joey liked. Yes, she was realistic enough to know they were pretty... they were gorgeous, some of them and Lauren would kill to look just like them but they were also mostly pretty dumb. Thick as shit was what Uncle Derek had called one of them and Lauren couldn't help but (silently) agree with him in his assessment. None of them ever seemed to last very long though, for which Lauren was truly grateful. It was like a knife to the gut to see them fawning over him at school though. And she couldn't help the pang of jealousy that swept through her each time she saw him kiss one of those girls... a little bit of her wishing it was her he was kissing.

Even when he was dating someone though, Lauren knew he would make himself available if she needed him. That had been proved a few months earlier when her family life had imploded yet again. Of course the cause of said implosion was her parents (as usual), or more specifically her dad and some other floozy he was involved with. This time her dad had moved out and he wasn't currently living in Walford. Lauren and her siblings hadn't seen him for weeks. Despite her better judgment Lauren was missing him. She tried calling him but he never answered her calls and he didn't return the messages she left either. Her sister and brother didn't seem as bothered and Lauren had been surprised that she was, if she was being honest with herself. But surprise or not, she was upset. He'd been gone almost four weeks when she had her break down and she walked to Joey's house instinctively. She rang the doorbell and after a couple of minutes Joey answered the door. She could tell that she had disturbed him because he was doing his shirt back up and his hair was a little out of place. She started to back away from the door, turning towards the street as she bit her lip to stop the tears from falling. He said her name in concern and then he'd grabbed her hand and stopped her from running. She froze, feeling the heat of his hand warming hers, the rest of her feeling icy cold as the emotions whirled through her. He said her name again, tugging on her hand so she was facing him. Her eyes locked on the small bit of his chest she could see where he'd stopped buttoning up his shirt in his haste to stop her. He lifted her chin and she saw the concern in his eyes as he saw the tears welling in hers. He pulled her into the house and left her briefly in the lounge, telling her he'd be back in a few minutes. She tried to stop thinking about everything, instead focusing on the silence of the house.

That silence was broken as she heard the sound of footsteps that were definitely not Joey's moving down the stairs. His latest girlfriend's tiresome voice could be heard through the walls as she moaned about him kicking her out. Joey just told her he'd see her tomorrow and that he had something more important he had to do. More important... those words buzzed around her head and sent a thrill through her. She drifted off into a world of her own, one where she and Joey were together and happy. She laughed bitterly, knowing that sort of relationship was pretty much a foreign concept for the Branning's but it was a nice dream to have nevertheless.

She was startled from her thoughts when the door to the lounge opened and Joey walked into the room. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her against his chest. Lauren broke down in tears as she felt his hand brushing up and down her back and then when he pressed his mouth against the top of her head and kissed her hair, the sobs increased in strength. Looking back at that time now she wished she'd been about to enjoy the experience of him holding her like that. Instead she'd been too busy being an emotional wreck. There was no way Joey would be interested in her, even if she wasn't his cousin, because she was such a baby... he only ever seemed to see her when she was in tears.

Lauren sighed, placing the photo back in the front of her diary and closing it, putting it in her bedside cabinet as she got up from her bed and walked down to the lounge. The house still felt wrong without her dad there but she had at least spoken to him now... after some assistance from Joey and her Uncle Derek. Joey's dad had called his brother, telling him about Lauren being upset and missing him and the next night her dad had called the house and she'd spoken to him for almost an hour. It was the first proper conversation they'd had for months, possibly even years and Lauren now felt closer to him than she ever had. It was thanks to Joey and the smile he gave her after she'd said as much to him the next day made her feel even better. She could live with him in her life as a cousin, she decided because she knew he would be there for her, whenever she needed him.

*JL*JL*

It turned out Lauren needed Joey just two months after arriving at that decision. He did, in fact, almost save her life. And it also brought her parents back together. It all began with a slow burn. Lauren had been feeling unwell for a few days, nothing really bad but enough to make her uncomfortable. She wrote it off as period pains... which increased to severe period pains after four days. She had never had pains as bad as this before. Yes she'd had a few months when the pain of her periods would be intense but this was so much worse than that. Something stopped her from talking to her mum about it though. As if there was any danger of her mum being particularly interested in anything she had to say to her anyway. She was still sulking after Lauren went to spend the weekend with her dad just over a week ago. She apparently thought Lauren was choosing sides.

It was a Thursday when the shit hit the proverbial. Lauren was at school. She'd been feeling progressively lousier as the day went on and she was literally dragging herself to the cafeteria to get some lunch. Not that she was planning on eating anything... she was sure if she did she'd throw it all back up, in addition to anything else she'd eaten since she got up this morning. She was now beginning to doubt this was just period pains and she thought maybe she should go to the doctors on the way home from school.

She shifted from one foot to another as she queued to buy her lunch, startled when someone nudged her shoulder. She looked to her right and there was Joey. He frowned when he saw her face, asking her if she was okay. She rolled her eyes and turned back to the counter, moving with the queue slowly for the next two minutes. Joey said nothing else but Lauren knew he was watching her closely. She picked up her tray and moved towards the till to pay, unable to hide the wince as she moved. She blinked her eyes a couple of times, regretting moving as she felt a wave of heat wash through her. She was vaguely aware of Joey's hand settling on her waist and she flinched from his touch as the pain intensified. She took a couple of steps forward but felt herself swaying with each one. Everything was starting to fade in and out of reality and then it all went black.

*JL*JL*

Joey's heart lurched as he saw Lauren fall to the floor, her tray of food clattering around her and gaining everyone's attention. Someone jeered at the sound of broken crockery but as Joey moved to where she lay on the ground and felt for her pulse the room fell deathly silent. A couple of teachers joined him at Lauren's side, one of them telling him an ambulance had been called. He went with her in the ambulance, flashes of being in exactly the same position when she got concussion at school going through his mind. This time seemed more serious; the paramedic was examining Lauren and Joey could tell from the sense of urgency pervading through the vehicle that there was most definitely something wrong with her. He watched in concern as the paramedic called through to the driver, telling him to put his foot down and Joey's heart sank even further. He moved closer to Lauren's head, tucking some of her hair behind her ear. He whispered to her, telling her she was going to get better... or he'd kill her himself.

The ambulance arrived at the hospital and once again she was taken from him. This time it was Joey that called people. First he called Lauren's dad, knowing he had the furthest to travel and she would want him here. He could hear the panic in his uncle's voice and felt guilty for putting that sound there. What he didn't realise was that his own voice had exactly the same tone to it.

The next person he called surprised even him. He called his dad. He told him briefly what had happened and where they were. His dad said he would tell Tanya and would bring her to the hospital as soon as he could.

Joey was pacing nervously when his dad walked into the hospital with his aunt. Tanya was instantly asking him what had happened and Joey couldn't answer her. His dad stepped in, seeing the expression on his son's face and recognising it. Lauren's doctor arrived at that point and had said that Lauren needed an operation. She had appendicitis.

The three of them waited for the operation to be over; for some news about Lauren. Max arrived and when he asked Joey what had happened, Joey told them all. He'd calmed down by this point and was able to form words and sentences. All three adults could see how worried he was about his cousin. The doctor had said the operation would only be between one and two hours long. By the time the clock ticked up to two and a half hours Joey was back to the pacing. His dad had tried to calm him but it hadn't worked. He watched the clock as each second... minute... hour... ticked by. If he sat down to wait, he was literally going to explode. Why hadn't the doctor come back to tell them she was okay? Did that mean she wasn't?

Twenty minutes later (and almost three hours since she was taken down for surgery) the door to the room they were waiting in opened and it was the surgeon back. Joey's dad introduced Max to the doctor. The doctor sat on one of the chairs opposite them all and Joey sat immediately next to his dad, feeling his dad place his hand on his shoulder and squeeze it gently. Joey's eyes darted to look at him and saw the smile of reassurance on his dad's face. It was what he needed to see at that moment.

The doctor started speaking, drawing Joey's attention back to him. He softly explained that there had been a complication during the operation. Lauren's appendix had ruptured while they'd been operating. Originally the plan was to do the surgery laparoscopically but once it ruptured they had had to open her up to eradicate the infection and stop it from spreading. That had increased the severity of the surgery and she was now in intensive care while they waited to see if there were any post-op complications. The next few hours were going to be touch and go.

Joey's head was spinning. He stayed seated as his aunt and uncle left the room with her doctor, to go and see their daughter. He couldn't move; he was stunned by what the doctor had just told them. In a whisper he asked his dad softly if she was going to be okay. His answer wasn't very reassuring. His 'I don't know' didn't make Joey feel any better and although he fought it he couldn't help it when the tears started as everything overwhelmed him. His dad hugged him tightly, telling him softly that Lauren was in exactly the right place and everyone was going to do everything to help her and make her better.

*JL*JL*

His aunt and uncle let him see Lauren before his dad took him home and he was surprised by how frail she looked as she lay in the bed. She was surrounded by machines, all making loud noises and recording information on her condition. Doctor Craig walked into the room as he was sitting with her and Joey asked how she was doing. He said her condition had improved slightly but he was a little concerned that she hadn't woken from the anaesthetic yet. Joey's hopes rose only to be dashed by his last comment. Once they were alone again Joey gripped her hand tightly in his and lifted it to kiss the back of it tenderly. He sat in silence for several minutes until he heard the soft knock on the door from his dad which he knew meant they had to go. He got to his feet and stepped closer to the top of the bed. She just looked like she was sleeping and he wished she was. He kissed her softly on the forehead, leaving his lips on her skin slightly longer than necessary, hoping she would've improved by the next time he saw her.

*JL*JL*

He went straight up to his room once they were home and he heard his dad telling his mum to leave him be. Joey lay on his bed staring up at the ceiling of his room, his thoughts on his cousin as was usually the case these days. He sighed and got up from his bed, walking over to his desk. He stared at the shelf above it for several minutes; his eyes fixed on the picture frame sitting there so innocently. He picked it up, staring at her image. His intense feelings for her had only grown in the intervening years since this picture had been taken. She was still the first thing he thought about every morning, sometimes still having to resort to thinking of her if he woke up aroused; although fortunately his need for that was less frequent now. Sometimes his thoughts would drift to her when he was with a girlfriend. It was sometimes the only way he could get through the tediousness that sex had become for him. Is it wrong that at the age of eighteen, he didn't enjoy sex? Maybe he just hadn't found the right girl yet...? Or maybe the problem was that he had, he just wasn't sure if anything could ever come of it.

TBC

**A/N: What did you think? Like it? I guess I should say that I wrote part of this while watching Skyfall and it might have influenced a certain character's name. :-)**

**So here ends the prequel to chapter 1. The next chapter will be the start of the sequel.**

**There weren't any guesses to the choice of chapter titles... and I suppose there might be now, after today's chapter title but if you're still in the dark, the chapters will each be named after a song title. Chapter 1 was by Robin Beck (a bit old school but once used for a Coca-Cola advert), Chapter 2 was by Vampire Weekend and today's effort was by P!nk.**

**Tomorrow featured artist will be... Robbie Williams... Any ideas what the chapter will be called?**


	4. Chapter 4: No Regrets

**So there was a correct guess for the chapter title - so well done KatieCullen84! **

**We're now back to the end of chapter 1... picking up from where that ended... lying in Joey's bed, Lauren in Joey's arms (where she belongs in my opinion!).  
**

**Chapter 4: No Regrets.**

"You're quiet," Joey whispered, "Are you okay?" he asked, hating hearing the vulnerability in his voice.

"I'm fine, Joe." Lauren told him, "I was just thinking about stuff..."

"What stuff?" he asked.

"Us... when we were growing up," she said softly. She lifted her head and looked into his eyes, seeing worry within them that she hated for being there.

"Do you regret what we just did?" he asked her.

"God, no." She replied quickly. "You were right..." she whispered.

"About what?"

"It feels different now..." she admitted and Joey froze. She lifted her hand and brushed it down the side of his face, "Not in a bad way, Joe," she added.

"So you don't regret what we just did?" he asked her again softly. There was that vulnerability again.

"Never... but things have changed."

"In what way?"

"Things can't go back to how they were before today..." she whispered.

"And if I said I didn't want them to..." he whispered back to her, moving his head forward and kissing her forehead tenderly.

"You don't?" she whispered. He shook his head. "So what do you want?"

"I want you..." he admitted, "I want this... with you..." he added. His hand brushed down her back and settled on her ass, pulling her closer to him. Her forehead rested on his chest and he could feel her breath tickling his skin. "You said that was your first time... well, in a way it felt like the first time for me too."

"But you've been with other girls, Joe. I know you have..." she breathed.

"You're right, I have but it's never been like that before." She lifted her head off his chest as he spoke and Joey closed his eyes, feeling her eyes watching him. "It was special, Lo... what we just did was special for me..."

"For me too..." she told him, "So you'd want to do it again...?" she asked.

He opened his eyes and stared down at her face, "Of course." He breathed, not even needing to think about it.

"Kiss me..." she whispered, staring up at him. She'd barely whispered the words and his mouth was on hers, deepening the kiss naturally. Lauren moaned into his mouth, pressing her body against his. She felt his length hardening against her thigh and she couldn't help the giggle from bursting from her.

"It's not nice to laugh, Lo... It could give a guy a complex."

"Sorry... this is still so new to me. I don't really know what I'm doing."

"Then let me show you..." he breathed before kissing her again.

Both were struggling for air when they separated. "Do you think we should talk about the future...?"

His mouth scattered kisses along her jaw, "What about it?" he breathed against her skin.

"Well, are we going to tell our family?" she asked and Joey stopped kissing her. "About us, I mean? Being together..."

Joey stared into her eyes, "Is that what you want?" he asked.

"I don't want to lie to them... I hate the lies, you know that." She admitted.

"How about we try this for a little while and make sure we're not making a mistake and then we tell them."

"Making a mistake?" she repeated, biting her lip as her heart clenched.

"I don't mean like that... I just don't want us to tell them and we have to go through all the rigmarole of that if we were to decide in a few days that we're better off being friends. I don't think we will but I thought it would be nice for this to be just the two of us for a little while." He kissed her lips softly again.

"Okay... but we can't lie forever, Joe."

"I know..." Both his hands came up and cupped her cheeks, "So, could I tempt you...?" he asked, pushing his hips against her, showing her what he meant without saying it.

"Probably..." she whispered with a small smile. Joey leaned over her and yanked open the drawer beside his bed. He pulled out a foil square and shut the drawer again. Lauren clutched his forearm as he rolled onto his back, "Show me, Joe..." she said.

Joey stared at her then nodded his head, "Sit up, Lo." He murmured. She followed his instructions and he sat up too, "Touch me..." he told her, closing his eyes briefly as she silently did as he said, stroking his length like he'd shown her earlier. He tore open the condom, nudging her hand away from him. She watched intently as he rolled the latex onto himself. He leant forward and kissed her softly, feeling her smile against his mouth. He pulled her against him, feeling her sitting astride his legs like she had been downstairs and he moaned as he felt her press against him, his cock trapped between their bodies.

"Sorry..." she whispered, automatically assuming she'd done something wrong.

"No need to apologise, baby..." he murmured.

"What do you want me to do?" she asked softly.

"Kiss me..." he replied.

"That I can do..." she said with a smile. She kissed him, more confidently than she had done when she first got here and Joey kissed her back. Slowly his hand slipped down her body and he brushed her, feeling her wetness, he also didn't miss the slight flinch as he touched her.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"Yeah... you just surprised me..." she admitted, "and I ache a little..." she added softly.

"Are you sure you want to do this now?" he asked, relief flooding him when he saw her nod in reply. "You can change your mind at any time, Lo. You just say the word and we're done."

"I want this, Joe." She whispered, "I just didn't think I'd be..." her words faded, seeing the frown appear on his face as she spoke.

"Did I hurt you?" he asked, already feeling guilty and hating himself for what he'd done.

"No!" she gasped but he could tell she was lying.

He pushed her away from him slightly and saw her shoulders sag. "Let's do something different," he said softly. Before he could say anything else she was off the bed and retrieving her clothes from the floor. "Where are you going, Lo?"

"Home..." she whispered.

"Why?"

"You said you didn't want to... be with me..." She was pulling her clothes on as she spoke, her back to him.

"When did I say that?" She was confusing him now. He moved to where she was standing, reaching for her empty hand and lacing his fingers through hers. "Lo..." he breathed into her hair as he kissed the back of her head.

"Don't Joe..."

"Don't what?"

"I'm not like your girlfriends... you can't just stop seeing me when you're done with me."

"Lo?" She tried to pull her hand from his but he wouldn't let her; instead he tugged on her hand and she (albeit reluctantly) turned to face him. He was stunned to see tears on her face. He lifted his hand and brushed them away. "Tell me what you're thinking because you lost me about five minutes ago..." he said.

"Exactly..." she muttered.

"Lo, I'm not with you. I don't understand what just happened." She remained silent, "Do you remember me saying that boys are stupid... well, guess what, babe, I'm a boy. So spell it out to me in really small words and tell me what I did to upset you..."

"You said you wanted to do something different... that you didn't want to have sex with me..." she whispered.

Joey released the breath he hadn't even realised he was holding, pulling her into his arms, "You silly girl... I didn't mean I didn't want to have sex with you." He told her gently. He lifted her chin so she was looking into his eyes, "I meant we could try something different... not stop altogether... I just don't want you to be in pain."

"Really?" she whispered, biting her lip.

His arms wrapped around her back and urged her closer, "Does it feel like I don't want you...?" he asked her, "I don't want to hurt you any more than I already have... and I'm sorry I've made you sore, baby."

"I really didn't mind, Joe... it was fun."

Joey looked at the time and sighed, "I think you're going to have to go now, babe. Your parents will be wondering where you are and mine will be home soon."

"I don't want to go." She said, her arms wrapping around his waist.

"Come round tomorrow, after school..." he told her gently.

"Are you sure?" she asked.

"Very..." he said. His hands swept down her body and he lifted her off the floor. His mouth was on hers and she moaned softly as his tongue brushed against hers. "Tomorrow..." he breathed several minutes later against her neck, smiling as he felt her struggling for air, setting her on the floor again.

"But..." she glanced down, taking in his still very erect cock.

"I'll deal with it when you've gone." He reassured her.

"Are you sure?" she said, running her finger down it softly.

"It won't be the first time I've had to resort to that..." he told her, "At least this time I'll have an actual experience with you to think about, rather than just using my imagination – which was nowhere near as good as the real thing, by the way."

"I want to help you..." she told him.

"Next time..." he reassured her.

Lauren looked at his face, "Tomorrow then." She whispered.

"Tomorrow." He told her, kissing her softly again. It would take a little getting used to, knowing he could do that to her now but he was already addicted.

"I'll leave you to it then..." she said, smirking at him before turning and walking out of the room.

Joey grabbed a towel as soon as he heard the front door slam behind her, heading towards the bathroom and some much needed self relief.

TBC

**A/N: So what did you think? There'll probably be a second chapter today...**

**Next chapter's guest artist will be... Robin Thicke... so I'm sure you'll know the song title...**


	5. Chapter 5: Blurred Lines

**So here is the second chapter of the day... just a short one though...  
**

**Chapter 5: Blurred Lines.**

Joey opened the front door the next day with much less trepidation than he had twenty four hours earlier. Lauren was standing there, looking slightly awkward which was unlike her. He smiled at her, it growing when he saw her relax. "Come in, Lo..." he said softly, bending down to kiss her when she walked past him as he shut the front door. She moaned into his mouth and he felt her lips curve into a smile. He lifted her in his arms, her arms and legs wrapping around his neck and body respectively. She clung to him tightly, still kissing him as he walked them up to his room. The door slammed shut behind them and then he was pressing her against it, pressing his already forming arousal against her and feeling her shiver against him. His breath was ragged when he pulled his mouth from hers, "Hi..." he whispered, smiling at her tenderly.

"Hi..." she said back to him.

"You came then..." he said softly, his fingers pushing some hair behind her ear, grazing her skin gently.

"Not yet, no..." she said, a small smirk teasing the corners of her mouth.

"Lo..." he growled, his mouth pressing onto hers urgently once more, the desire rushing through him as a result of her words. Joey's mouth moved slowly down her neck, sucking on her skin gently and feeling her respond. He quickly found a spot that had her practically purring in his arms and he stored that away for future reference. Today was going to be a day of exploration for them both as they learnt more about each other. Her fingers ran through his hair and it was his turn to moan as he felt her fingernails scratch the surface of his head. He pulled away from her again and stared into her eyes, seeing they'd darkened in colour and intensity. He walked backwards into the middle of the room and lowered her feet to the floor.

Lauren glanced down his body and saw his trousers straining to contain what was within and she looked up at his face again, biting her lip hesitantly. "Show me..." she whispered.

He nodded, lifting his hand and brushing his thumb across her cheek before lowering it to her lip and pulling it from between her teeth. "Relax, Lo..." he murmured, "I won't bite... unless you ask me to," he whispered and watched her eyes dart to his again, her face flushing red. She laughed but he can hear the nerves she's feeling. "We don't have to do anything..." he reminded her.

"I want to..."

"Where's the confident girl who was here last night?" he asked her.

"I think I lost her again..." she breathed.

"You really haven't babe... I promise you. I don't think you realise how sexy you are." He said to her.

Lauren took a deep breath and stood a little straighter. "What do you want me to do first?" she asked, her voice stronger now.

"Remove my jeans..." he told her.

Lauren closed her eyes briefly and Joey let her have a moment to compose herself. He knew this was well outside her comfort zone and he knew she was scared by what she's feeling right now. Her hands were shaking slightly as they moved to his belt and she slowly undid it, then undoing the buttons of his fly. Joey watched her, seeing her glance up into his eyes again as her fingers brush his length when she undoes the buttons. Despite the cool demeanour he's displaying, inside he's barely hanging on... the slight touch of her hand nearly pushed him over the edge in a way that would embarrass the hell out of him if it were to happen. The truth of the matter was he was as nervous as she was. What they are doing now meant more to him than anything he'd done with his girlfriends. None of them meant anything to him. Lauren meant more to him than any other person he'd ever known. He didn't want to screw this up. "Is this okay?" she whispered as her hands pushed his jeans down his thighs. His voice fails him and he can only nod. Suddenly he feels more like that sixteen year old boy than the young man he really is, he's frozen in place as his body responds to seeing her standing in front of him. "What now?" she asked, hesitation in her voice again.

"Pants..." he murmurs.

Time seems to stand still for several seconds as she does nothing. Joey moves quickly and yanks his T-shirt over his head and steps out of his jeans, kicking them across the room. He's now standing in front of her in just his underwear and for the first time he's nervous. What they are about to do is a conscious decision... yesterday could be argued as getting caught up in a moment but today was different. They were blurring the lines between them in a way that he knew most people would frown upon. Did that mean he was going to stop her? Fuck no! This was the thing he wanted most in the world. She was what he wanted and he didn't care if people didn't like it. As long as Lauren wanted this as much as he did, there was no problem.

TBC

**A/N: I guess it is cruel to leave it there, isn't it? Could you be tempted with another chapter tonight? I guess you might... let me know if you are.**

**From a current song with this chapter, we're now going old school for the next one. The next chapter's guest artist will be... Level 42... I wonder what song that might be?**


	6. Chapter 6: Lessons In Love

**So there was a correct guesser on the chapter title (well done to guest reviewer Abby - and thanks for the reviews!).  
**

**And this chapter starts where the last one ends (I wouldn't be that cruel and not finish it!)... Enjoy!**

**Chapter 6: Lessons in Love.**

"It's okay, Lo..." Joey said, seeing her frown. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled towards him, her head resting on his chest. He lowered his face and kissed her forehead softly.

"Is there something wrong with me?"

"Why would you think that?"

"We did this yesterday and I want to do this... I really do, JoJo," she said softly, Joey smiling as she called him her childhood name for him. He knew it was only something she did when she needed comfort from him, "But I'm scared and I don't know why." She admitted.

"I was thinking about this a minute ago." He told her, "I'm feeling just the same way..." He tugged on her hand and walked them backwards so they were sitting on his bed. "I think yesterday we got caught up in everything..."

"You said you didn't regret it..." She interrupted.

He kissed her softly on the mouth, "I don't, Lo... I think yesterday was easier because of how it happened. Today is more difficult because it's a plan we've made... we know what's going to happen so I guess it's a bit more daunting for both of us."

"So what do we do?" she whispered.

"Let's start slowly and build up to it..." he said softly. He pushed himself further back on the bed and held his hand out towards her. As her fingers entwined with his he squeezed them softly and saw her smile. After a few seconds they were lying on the bed together, facing one another but with a small gap between them. Joey reached towards her and brushed her hair back from her face, his fingers stroking her cheek once they tucked the strands behind her ear. "You're so beautiful, Lo..." he whispered.

"Don't..." she murmured, her eyes lowering.

"Don't what?"

"Lie... I hate it, JoJo."

"I'm not lying... you are the most beautiful person I know... I've always thought so." He told her, his hand caressing her face now, thumb brushing across her cheek. "You have been the most important person in my world pretty much all my life, Lo..."

"And you've been mine too." She whispered.

Joey moved slowly towards her, giving her the opportunity to move away from him if she chose to. His heart soared when, instead, she leant towards him. Their lips met in a tender kiss that they both eagerly deepened. Lauren's hands clutched his arms, her nails digging in she felt his hand hold her head in place. Their bodies gravitated towards each other the longer the kiss went on until Lauren was aware of Joey's body pressed against hers. They pulled apart, both breathing rapidly as oxygen became an issue. "Shall we take some of these off?" Joey whispered to her, his hand moving down from her face and running down her arm. It was only at this point that Lauren even realised she was still wearing all of her school uniform... even her socks... her shoes having been kicked off once they were in Joey's room. Then she remembered that Joey was only wearing his underwear and she felt like a fool. He must've noticed the expression on her face, "What's wrong?"

"I'm so stupid..." she whispered.

Joey hugged her tightly, surprised when he felt dampness against his chest, correctly realising that Lauren was crying, "Baby..." he breathed, his lips pressing against the top of her head, "please don't cry... I don't know what it is that's upset you but whatever it is, we can sort it out..."

"You must think I'm so naive..." she murmured, her voice muffled by the fact her hands were hiding her face from his view. "I must look so stupid in comparison to the girls you usually date..."

Joey lifted his hands to try and pry hers away from her face and after a slight battle Lauren gave in. Once her hands were gone he lifted her chin so she was looking up at his face, "I don't think you're stupid... I like the fact this is all new to you. Do you know why?" She shook her head, "Because I know that no one else has done this with you... That you want me to be the person who does this with you for the first time." She bit her bottom lip, still staring into his eyes. "I love you, Lo... probably a lot more than I should do. I love knowing that everything we're going to do together is going to be new for you... that we're going to have to work out what you like and what you don't."

"What if I do something you don't like?" she asked him softly.

"I really don't think that's likely, Lo... I'm not sure that's even possible but if it happens, then I'll tell you and we won't do it again." She seemed satisfied with his response. "I want you to promise me, babe... if we do something and you don't like it, I need to know you'll tell me. Don't just think we have to do it because I liked it. This is about making sure we both enjoy ourselves."

"Okay, JoJo."

He smiled at her, "I like you calling me that..." he whispered before kissing her gently.

"You've always been my JoJo..." she whispered.

"Always, Lo..." he breathed against her mouth. She kissed him this time and he moaned as her tongue licked his lips before slipping between them and brushing against his. Both her hands ran up his chest and clutched both sides of his head as she deepened the kiss. He rolled over so he was partially lying on her as he moved his mouth across her cheek. He could hear her gasping breath as he did so and his heart leapt in his chest. He pulled away from her and rested his head on his hand, running his eyes up and down her body. She was still breathing heavily and he could see the desire on her face. His free hand moved to the top of her blouse and he glanced at her face again, seeing the brief nod before undoing the button. He slowly undid the front of her shirt then grazing his fingertips over her stomach, steadily climbing higher up her body, "Is this okay?" he asked her softly.

"Mmm..." she whispered, inhaling quickly as his hand cupped one of her breasts.

"Sit up, babe..." he murmured.

She looked at his face, smiling softly as she saw his eyes fixed on her chest. She could see how his pupils were dilated and the expression on his face reassured her that he wasn't changing his mind. She pushed her body up so she was sitting and tried to slow her breathing as his fingers gently eased the cotton blouse off her shoulders. His eyes were yet to go any further north than her chest and she watched as he studied her. He was silent for so long, barely moving as he looked her over and Lauren started to get a complex. "What's wrong?"

His eyes flickered up to hers, "Nothing, babe..."

"They're too small, aren't they...? I know you prefer..." her words were cut off by his mouth pressing against hers. His fingertips barely touched her jaw as she lowered her head towards his. She lost herself in the kiss, which she realised she did a lot with Joey.

As she pulled her mouth from his she saw he was staring at her again, his face so intense it practically took her breath away. She took a deep breath and only then realised he'd removed her bra. He must've caught the probable look of surprise on her face, "Is that okay?" he whispered.

Lauren had an overwhelming urge to lift her hands and cover her now bare chest and she probably would've done so if Joey hadn't lowered his head and kissed the top of one breast, slowly moving down until her nipple slipped between his lips. He had done this the day before, she could remember it now but today it seemed different. He was sucking on her breast now which she was sure in the cool calm reality of the day she would think was a little weird, but having him do it to her now... sent a tingling feeling through her whole body. His hands brushed up hers sides, grazing softly every part of her that was ticklish and she giggled, wriggling beneath him. He lifted his head and looked into her eyes, "Sorry... that tickled..." she said, smiling at him.

"Do you want me to stop?" he asked, already knowing her answer but giving her the opportunity to change her mind. Lauren shook her head, her cheeks flushing as she watched him move back to his previous position, seeing his eyes close as he pulled her peak back into his mouth. His right hand moved to her other breast, cupping it in the palm of his hand, his thumb brushing over the top and setting her body alight as his mouth continued to worship her.

"Joe..." she whispered, feeling the tingling sensation intensify. She bit her lip and her hands held his head against her chest as he sucked on it harder. An orgasm rippled through, leaving her slightly breathless. She closed her eyes, trying to centre herself and absorb what had just happened. She was surprised that he'd managed to do that just from touching her boobs. She didn't open her eyes as she felt him gather her in his arms and then her head was resting on his chest and she could hear his heart thudding away so steadily... although she recognised it was faster than it usually was. They lay in silence for several minutes. "Thank you..." she whispered. He kissed the top of her head and she knew she hadn't expected him to say anything. His kiss told her everything she needed to know. Finally she opened her eyes, her head still lying on his body. From where she was lying she had a clear view of the lower half of his body, although it was fair to say that only one thing caught her attention... and that was the pretty impressive bulge within his pants. Obviously what he'd just done had affected him as much as it had her. She made a decision there and then. Whereas the previous day she'd been forced to leave him wanting, that wasn't going to be the case today. "Tell me what to do, JoJo," she whispered.

"Huh?"

Lauren lifted her head and looked at his face, "I want to..." she took a deep breath, drawing every bit of courage within her to say the next words, "to touch you... I want you to come..."

"Lo..."

"You promised me, JoJo..." she whispered, her eyes not quite able to meet his. "I want to do this for you..." she said softly.

"Are you sure?" he asked, his hand reaching for her face and caressing her cheek gently.

"I am, Joe... I want you to feel how I did a minute ago... I want to know it was me making you come."

"It's always you, baby." He whispers into her ear, "Even when it's not you with me..."

She looked at him, a startled expression on her face, "You mean...?"

"Yeah..." his face heating as he answered her, "I told you yesterday, you've been the girl I've fantasized about since I was sixteen years old."

"But you've been with loads of girls, Joey... why would you need to think about me?"

His eyes ran over her face, smiling slightly at the surprise on her face, "I may have been with a few girls, LoLo... but there was only one girl who I wanted to be with..." He stopped and Lauren could see he was breathing deeply, almost as if he'd been on one of his jogs, "It's always been you, Lo..." He leant forward and kissed her softly, Lauren edging closer to him. It took Joey some time to realise where her hand was resting. He dragged his mouth from hers, resting his forehead against hers, groaning softly as she stroked him through his pants.

"Am I doing it wrong?" she asked him softly.

"No..." he gasped, his voice cracking slightly at the end of the word... much like it had done when he was sixteen. After a minute his hand stops hers and he looks into her eyes, "Wait a minute, baby..." he said, moving quickly off the bed. Lauren followed him, quickly removing her skirt so she's wearing just her knickers. He froze as she did this and when she moves back to stand in front of him she surprises him again, easing his pants down his legs. Where she found this newfound confidence he wasn't sure but he couldn't say he didn't like it. He stood before her now, completely naked and he watched as her eyes slowly dropped from his face and ran down his body.

"Do they all look like that?" she whispered.

"What do you mean?"

"So... pretty...?" she murmured, her hand lifting and hovering near his erection.

"You can touch it..." he breathed, "And to answer your question, I'm not sure, babe... It's not something I spend much time thinking about... Anyway I should imagine it's a bit subjective."

"Well, I think it is..." She glanced up at his face and saw him smiling at her.

"You are adorable, you know that?" he whispered, caressing her face and kissing her softly.

"What do I do, Joe?" she breathed against his mouth.

He took her hand in his and tugged her back towards his bed, both of them lying next to each other. Lauren couldn't believe how nonchalant he was about the fact he was naked; she was cringing every time she remembered she almost was... but at least she was still wearing knickers. Once they were facing each other again, Joey pressed his forehead against hers, "You know what to do, babe... you did it yesterday..."

"I don't want to do it wrong..." she whispered and he could see the fear in her eyes.

Joey took pity on her and took her hand in his, moving them both until they were wrapped around his length. Slowly he started to stroke his cock, moving her hand and his at a steady pace. He pressed his mouth to hers and felt her kiss him back. His length got harder as they both moved their hands. Joey moved his hand away, leaving Lauren to it now. He moaned as he pulled his mouth from hers and he saw a small frown on her face, "It's good, Lo..." he whispered. He was downplaying it slightly, it was more than just good. It felt so different having her hand do this, rather than his own. It could just be the size difference between his hand and hers... or maybe it was just knowing it was _her_ doing this that made it different. "You can change the speed..." he said, guiding her gently. Her hand sped up and his hips shifted automatically as he felt his arousal increase. He needed to touch her... not even necessarily sexually... he just needed to touch her skin so his arms wound around her waist and settled on her back. Without him saying anything her hand tightened on him and then she slowed down her movements. Again his hips flexed and he could feel her watching his face. Joey had closed his eyes now, knowing that if he was to look at Lauren he would come in an instant. He wanted this to last as long as it could because it felt fucking great... As his eyes were shut, her mouth on his neck took him by surprise as she kissed him tenderly, her other hand was pressed against his chest and he could swear her thumb had just brushed over his nipple... but maybe he imagined it. He knew there wouldn't be much more delaying it... his body felt like it was going to explode – literally. Her thumb brushed over the tip of his cock and Joey saw stars. He gasped, opening his eyes and finding Lauren staring right at him. Within milliseconds he was coming, his cock pulsing in her hand and she continued to stroke him firmly until his orgasm had faded. Joey was breathing heavily, having just had one of the most intense orgasms of his life... only surpassed by the one he had yesterday when they'd made love.

"Was that okay?" she asked hesitantly.

He looked at her in astonishment, seeing the doubt on her face, "Are you kidding? That was so much better than just okay. Lo, that was amazing..." his mouth pressed against hers, in a deep kiss that he hoped convinced her how serious he was – even if he hadn't already verbally told her. She had a small smile on her face as they separated. He glanced down, "I made a bit of a mess..." he said, blushing as he saw he'd managed to splatter both their stomachs and her hand. He reached to his bedside table and grabbed a handful of tissue, beginning to wipe away the evidence of what had just happened.

They were silent for several minutes as Joey fastidiously cleaned the mess, "You're quiet, JoJo..." she whispered.

He glanced up at her face, seeing her watching him intently, "I guess I'm just absorbing what's happened in the last couple of days..."

"Still no regrets?" she asked hesitantly.

"Not even for a second..." he said. He tossed the soiled tissues on the side and pulled Lauren against him, his arms holding her tight against him. "I love you, LoLo..." he breathed into her hair.

"Love you too, JoJo..." she whispered back to him and he smiled.

"You need to go home soon, babe..."

"But we haven't..."

He placed a finger on her mouth to silence her, "There's no rush, Lo... we're going to take our time with this. I don't want to hurry it... I want to show you everything... I want to work out with you what you like and dislike. We'll get to the sex again, I promise... but there's so much more we can do too."

"More?"

He smiled at her, kissing her softly before whispering in her ear, "So much more..."

"I don't want to go yet... can't we do something else now?"

"I'm not doing this in a rush, Lo... you're too important for a quick fumble..." He kissed her cheek and tightened his arms around her, "I'm gonna take my time with you, Lo..." he whispered to her again. "You're too special for me to do this wrong..."

TBC

**A/N: So was that worth the wait? I hope so... I wonder what Joey has planned for tomorrow's lesson... You'll have to wait and see.**

**The next chapter's guest artist will be... Snow Patrol... Go on... have a guess as to which one I've chosen. Back tomorrow!** **There should be a one shot tomorrow as well so look out for that. Will reply to all reviews for this and the last chapter tomorrow.**


	7. Chapter 7: Shut Your Eyes

**So feeling pretty down about the Michael Moon news... this is my effort to cheer myself up (and hopefully you too...). Enjoy.  
**

**There were no correct guesses for the song title but some pretty close ones (guessing Open Your Eyes).  
**

**Chapter 7: Shut Your Eyes.**

Lauren walked up to the door of Joey's house for the fourth day running and it opened before she even raised her hand to knock on it. There he was, managing to look sexy as usual. She'd gone home before coming round to his house this time. She was fed up of him only seeing her in her school uniform, so today she was wearing skinny jeans and a baggy jumper.

"Come in, baby..." he said, stepping back and opening the door wider.

"Is it just you here?" she asked.

"Yeah, dad's at work and mum and Alice have gone shopping for some clothes."

"So what do you have planned today?" She asked him softly.

He took her hand in his and pulled her towards the stairs, "Come with me and you'll find out..." She giggled and quickly followed him up the stairs. She smiled as she saw his room was tidy today and when she turned to face him, he asked her, "Do you want anything?"

"Just you..." she whispered, stepping closer to him and putting her arms around his waist.

He smirked at her, "What have I created?" he chuckled.

"What do you mean?"

"My own little nymphomaniac..." he whispered, his smile growing as he saw her cheeks flush.

"Only because it's so good..." she breathed, "I never realised it would feel like this..."

"What... Sex?"

She shook her head, "Being happy..." she glanced up at his face, before lowering her head to look at the floor, "Being in love..." His smile widened at hearing her words and he kissed the top of her head, pulling her against his body.

"I love you too, LoLo."

"Are you going to tell me what you've got planned then?" she whispered into his shirt.

"How about I just show you?" he murmured. She nodded her head.

They ended up on his bed again, both eagerly kissing each other. His hand slipped under her jumper and up her body. He pulled away from her quickly when he found she wasn't wearing a bra. "Surprise..." she whispered.

"You really are behaving differently today..." he whispered, staring into her eyes.

"Is that a bad thing?" she asked, frowning slightly.

"Never... It's nice to see you with a bit of confidence... because you should be."

"Confident?" she whispered.

He nodded, "You are so sexy... and you have plenty to be confident about Lo..." He pressed himself against the side of her body, "No one else makes me feel like this..." he whispered in her ear, his hand cupping her breast, thumb brushing over the peak. He watched as her eyes closed and she bit her lip. "And I'm the only one who can make you feel like this too, baby." He told her, leaning forward and kissing her softly on the mouth.

"JoJo..." she moaned.

"Let's get this off you..." he told her softly, his hand not touching her body but tugging her jumper. She nodded and he eased it up her body and over her head. His eyes ran down from her face, taking in how gorgeous she looked. "I'm not sure I'm ever going to get used to seeing you like this and knowing that you're mine." He told her softly.

"I don't plan on anyone else ever seeing me like this, Joe." She whispered. She rolled over to face him, his arms pulling her closer to him. Her face was buried in his neck and Joey soon felt her lips against his skin, kissing him softly over and over. She wriggled closer to him, pushing her hips against his growing length.

"You're very eager today, Lo," he moaned, his hand slipping to her ass and holding her against him.

"I want you, Joe." She breathed against his neck.

"I want you too, babe..." he breathed. He lifted his hand and brushed her hair back from her face as she pulled away from him so she could look at him. He tucked it behind her ear and she smiled at him. "I have something else planned for you first though, Lo..." he whispered.

"What exactly...?" she asked softly, turning her head and kissing the inside of his wrist, his hand still cupping her face.

"Trust me...?"

"Always..." she said.

"Take off the rest of your clothes, Lo," he whispered.

She stared at him then rolled away and stood up. She kept her back to him as she undid her jeans, feeling slightly uncomfortable about having him watch her do this. When she was wearing just her knickers she stood back upright, taking a couple of deep breaths. She turned to face him, "Will this do?" she asked him gently.

"Close enough, Lo..."

She walked back over to him, seeing his eyes lowering to her chest once more. It was very apparent that Joey was a boob man... or at the very least had a fascination with her chest. She clambered back onto the bed and knelt beside him. "You're wearing too many clothes, JoJo." She breathed.

Joey smirked at her and pushed himself up into a sitting position. His T-shirt was gone in a matter of seconds. Lauren continued to watch him as he moved so he was kneeling and then he was shoving his jeans down his legs. For a few seconds Lauren didn't know where to look when his boxer covered groin was pretty much directly in front of her face and she couldn't help thinking he'd just done that on purpose. He was smirking as he sat back down and she knew that had been no accident. He held his hand out towards her and she laced their fingers together. Then she was lying in his arms again and he was kissing her. His hands grazed over her body, pausing briefly at her chest. She was breathing heavily when his mouth moved away, moving down first her jaw and then her neck. Her fingers wove through his hair as he sucked on her skin softly. He kissed her neck tenderly, then pulling away. Her arms were around his neck and when he looked at her face he could see the desire written across it, "Does my girl like that?" he asked with a smile.

"Mmm..."

"There's more to come, babe." He whispered. "Shut your eyes, Lo..." She obediently complied and he nudged her so she was lying on her back once more. He lowered his head again, kissing her collar bone softly and hearing the slight shakiness of her breath. He smirked against her skin and began to move down her chest until he reached one of her beautiful breasts. They were quickly becoming an obsession of his. He worshipped them slowly, feeling her body shifting beneath his as she began to respond. He smiled against her skin and moved his mouth to her other peak, showing it the same attention and causing her to moan softly. She was pretty much squirming on the bed now and he lifted his head again and stared at her, "Not so fast, Lo... I've still got plans for you, babe."

"Joe..." she whimpered.

He chuckled and went back to kissing her, slowly moving lower to her stomach. His hands brushed her sides again and he heard her giggle as he tickled her sides, "Sorry..." he whispered against her stomach. His hands moved to her knickers and then he was pushing them down her legs and she was finally naked.

Lauren lay on the bed, her body in sensory overload as he continued to kiss her. She wanted to open her eyes and look at him, wanting to see his face but at the same time not wanting to disappoint him. She had noticed his mouth moving lower and he'd pushed her knickers off her body and then she realised where he was heading and she froze, "JoJo...?" she yelped. She opened her eyes and stared down her body at him. "What are you doing?"

He stared at her and saw the fear on her face. There was even more than when they'd had sex for the first time and he moved back up her body so he was lying beside her, "We don't have to do it, if you don't want to..." he murmured, his thumb brushing her cheek tenderly.

"You were... going to..." She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, "Down there?" she whispered.

"It's good, Lo. I promise you..." he reassured her.

"But... isn't it... gross?" she asked, opening her eyes and looking at him again, a small frown on her face.

"No baby... it's not." He said softly.

"I... don't know... if I can..." she admitted, "It just feels a bit odd..."

"There's something else bothering you, Lo. I know you, I can tell."

"I don't understand why you would want to do that..."

"Because I love you and it's another way of me showing you how much I love you..."

Lauren stared at him, seeing the sincerity in his eyes. "I need a few minutes, Joe." She whispered, pulling away from him and getting up off the bed. She grabbed his T-shirt off the floor and pulled it over her head, looking back at him quickly as she slipped out of his room.

*JL*JL*

Joey sighed and rolled onto his back once she'd shut the door behind her. He should've thought this through more before attempting this with her. Maybe he should've talked to her about it. He glanced towards the door, concerned that she hadn't come back.

*JL*JL*

Lauren stood in front of the sink in the bathroom. She was leaning on the porcelain, trying to avoid looking at herself in the mirror. She felt weird. She hadn't thought things would get weird between her and Joey but now she was dreading walking back into his room. She couldn't avoid that though, even if she wanted to because she was currently only wearing a T-shirt – his T-shirt to be precise. She wasn't even wearing any underwear.

She sighed and risked a glance up at her reflection. She could see the changes in her appearance in the last few days; since she'd slept with the boy she'd loved the whole of her life. She looked different... or maybe it was that she felt different. She wasn't sure. She felt like she'd grown up over this short time.

Joey. JoJo. Her best friend. Her confidant. The man she loved. She took a deep breath. She realised she wasn't sure why she was freaking out about this. She'd trusted him a few days earlier. Hell, she'd trusted him all of her life... why should now be any different?

She smiled slightly as she realised she'd made her decision. She glanced around the room she'd been in many times before and made one more decision before she left the sanctuary of this room.

*JL*JL*

Joey looked at the door as it opened and she was standing there, although she was no longer wearing his T-shirt. He opened his mouth to speak but she held up her hand and he stopped. "I'm sorry about before..." she whispered.

"It's me who should be apologising..." he interrupted her.

"JoJo... I need to say this..." she replied. She was silent for a couple of minutes and she came further into the room, closing the door behind her and leaning against it. "I panicked..." she admitted. "The thought of you doing that... scared me, I guess."

"Can I ask why?" he asked.

"I don't know... it just..." She lowered her head and he could see she was fidgeting slightly where she stood.

"I'm sorry, LoLo." He told her, hating seeing her standing there looking so uncomfortable. That was the last thing he wanted.

"I am too..."

"What for?" he asked.

"For not trusting you..." She moved from where she was standing, back towards the bed. She sat next to him, his T-shirt being dropped on the floor as she moved.

"I shouldn't have pushed you... It's always okay if you don't want to do something..." he whispered, sitting up and kissing her softly.

"I want to..." she murmured.

"You do?" he asked in surprise.

"I don't know if I won't like it unless I try... and if you want to do it, I want to try."

"You don't have to, Lo."

"I know..." She smiled at him slightly. "I had a shower..." she told him.

"I can see that..." he said, smiling at her.

"I feel better about it doing it now..." she said, her face flushing a dark red colour.

"You're sure about this, Lo?"

"Totally." She reached for his hand and lifted it, kissing the back of it softly, "I trust you, JoJo... I always have."

He leant forward and kissed her, his hand lowering to her bare shoulder and squeezing it gently. They were lying back on the bed a minute later. Soon Joey's hand was loosening the towel that was wrapped around her body to reveal her bare body to him once more. She was as responsive as she'd been the last time he'd done this just thirty minutes earlier but this time she didn't tense as he moved lower down her body. He was distracted slightly as he got to the scar on her lower abdomen. It was a mark on her body that brought back a lot of bad memories for him. He had thought he was going to lose her forever in those few days. The first day had been bad... when he'd been worrying about her while they operated. With her already in intensive care after the complications during surgery, it was a worry for everyone, but on the second day her condition worsened as she was diagnosed with septicaemia and her condition had been very grave. "Did I ever tell you how worried I was about you when you got this?" he asked her softly. He glanced up at her face and saw her shake her head, frowning slightly as she saw where he was focused. "I thought... I thought you were going to die, Lo and you'd never know how I felt about you... how much I loved you."

Lauren's hand lifted and she brushed the side of his face gently. "I was okay though..." she whispered.

"There were times when you weren't, Lo. I was so scared... I saw you after the surgery and the sight of you lying in that bed surrounded by machines scared the crap out of me." He lowered his head and kissed the scar tenderly, "It took you ages to wake up from the anaesthetic and then the infection you got the next day... if I thought you'd looked bad after the operation, the next day... you looked like you could die any second and I would've given anything to switch places with you... to be in your place so that I knew you were okay."

Lauren could see he was getting upset as he reminisced about that five day period where she'd fought for her life, "I'm okay, JoJo..." she whispered to him. Her hand caressed his face now, trying to wipe away the pain she could see in his features, "Come here..." she breathed, smiling at him when he moved so they were laying face to face again. She took a deep breath, "I heard you..." she told him softly, revealing something she'd never told him before.

"When?"

"In the hospital... you were talking to me and holding my hand. I wanted to tell you I was okay but I guess I wasn't because I couldn't get myself to wake up and speak to you."

"Why didn't you tell me this before?" he asked her softly.

"It was such a long time ago I'd forgotten about it... it was only when you just mentioned it, that it came back to me." She looked into his eyes, both getting lost slightly as they stared at each other, "I'm sorry for worrying you..." she whispered.

"It wasn't your fault," he murmured. "Do you remember anything else?" he asked her hesitantly.

She closed her eyes and thought back through the slightly blurry memories of that time. Her eyes shot open as she remembered something else. "Did you kiss me?" she asked, shocked that she'd forgotten that.

His face showed his answer before he even nodded his head. She smiled as she saw his cheeks flush. "Yeah... that first night, I kissed your forehead when I was leaving." He lowered his head slightly and took a couple of deep breaths, "The next two times I saw you... you were so ill and I was so worried I was going to lose you... so I kissed you..."

"On the mouth..." she whispered. His face was deepening in colour as she said that. She hugged him tightly, burying her face into his neck and feeling his lips press against her hair. "I love you, JoJo..." she murmured against his skin.

"I love you too, Lo." He breathed into her hair. They lay in silence for several minutes, both deep in thought about the time they'd been discussing. Joey moved his mouths to hers again, kissing her deeply, reminding himself that she was with him and they were together now. "Shut your eyes," he whispered to her again before gradually making his way back down her body, pressing his lips to the scar tenderly as he moved past. He lifted his head and glanced up at her face and saw she was lying with her eyes shut, biting her lip in anticipation of what he was about to do. He lowered his mouth back to her body, pressing his lips against her clit gently. He heard her gasp and he paused, wondering if she wanted him to stop. Her hand flew to his head and pushed him back to his previous position, making him smile as he pulled her clit into his mouth and heard her moan.

Joey spent several minutes on her clit, feeling her relax as Lauren became used to what he was doing. He moved lower still and apart from some slight tension in her legs which disappeared after seconds, he knew Lauren was okay. Her fingers were laced through his hair, holding his head in place again and as he grasped her hips and pushed his tongue inside her she moaned loudly. He could tell she was close to coming and when he circled her clit with his thumb he could tell it wouldn't take much more. His thumb pressed on her nub and she was flying, screaming his name around the room. Joey licked up her juices, swallowing them eagerly and easing her down from her peak. Once she was calm he kissed slowly and tenderly back up her body. He pulled away from her slightly and stared at her face, seeing the sated expression on her face that was put there by him. "I love you, LoLo..."

"I love you too..." she said, smiling at him, her hand brushing the side of his face.

He moved slowly towards her, staring into her eyes as he went to kiss her. She only paused slightly as his lips met hers, closing her eyes as he ran his tongue along the seam of her mouth. She gave him entrance and he moaned into her mouth as her tongue danced with his. He pulled her against him, his hand settling on her ass after it ran down her spine.

TBC

**A/N: So thoughts? Hope you liked it... And there was a little extra information from the end of the prequel... Possibly a second chapter this evening...**

**Next chapter's guest artist will be... Kylie - so again plenty to choose from. Let me know any suggestions you have.**


	8. Chapter 8: Slow

**One correct guess of the song (well done disarranging!)... It could only be this song really. Enjoy! **

**Chapter 8: Slow.**

"So you liked that then?" Joey whispered.

"A little bit..." Lauren said. Joey pulled away from her slightly, tilting her chin up so he could look at her face. He relaxed slightly when he saw the smile on her face, "I didn't mean it, JoJo." She whispered, "It was really good... I just never knew..."

"I'm glad you enjoyed it. I thought for a few minutes you weren't willing to try." He said softly.

"I was just a little worried... and weirded out by it."

"I noticed, babe." He told her softly. "But you're okay now?"

"Yeah, I didn't think I'd like it but it was fantastic..." She admitted. She leant forward and kissed him softly on the lips. "Thanks JoJo..." she breathed against his mouth.

Joey pressed his hips against hers, "Up for a little more?" he asked tentatively.

"What did you have in mind?"

"I want you..." he murmured, staring into her eyes.

"Then have me, Joe." She said with a loving smile at him.

Joey closed his eyes at her words. It was every wish he'd ever had come true. When he thought about how their relationship had changed in the last few days, it blew his mind. He heard her giggle and opened his eyes to look at her, "What?"

"You zoned out, Joe... I've been saying your name for about a minute..." She pressed her lips against his.

"Sorry, babe... just thinking about how much things have changed in the last few days. It still surprises me that we're doing this... the number of times I've imagined us doing this and now I get to actually do it and..." his words drift away and he kisses her again. When he pulls away from her he sits up and pulls her up with him. He grabs a condom from his bedside cupboard and holds it out towards her, "Do you want to do this?" he asks.

"What if I break it?"

"I've got more in the cupboard..." he reassures her. "I showed you how to do this yesterday... I can do it, if you'd rather?"

"No, I'll do it." She takes the package from him and carefully tears it open. She takes a deep breath before she starts, trying to stop herself from over thinking it and calm down. Lauren can feel him watching her as she eases the condom onto him and she's never been so relieved when she manages it without tearing it. She glances up at his face and he smiles at her. "What now?"

"We could try a different position this time? It can feel different..." he suggested.

"Okay..." She smirked at him, "So where do you want me?"

He lifted her off the bed and pulled her onto his lap, sitting astride his legs. "Just about here, Lo..." he told her. She'd started giggling as soon as he'd grabbed her and as she put her arms around his neck she stopped laughing and looked a little pensive. "You okay?"

"Just scared it's going to hurt again..." she whispered.

"It shouldn't baby... but how about this time we take it really slow?"

"Okay." She said and Joey watched as she visibly relaxed.

Joey lowered his eyes and stared at her chest, a part of her body that had always been a favourite of his and that certainly hadn't changed since their relationship had. His hands lifted and he cupped a breast in the palm of each one. "They fit my hands perfectly..." he murmured, not even aware that he'd spoken his thought.

"Have they always fascinated you?" She asked, breaking him from his thoughts.

"Your boobs?" he asked.

"Well, I meant boobs in general... but yes, mine in particular, I guess too."

"Yes to both questions... but yours..." She smiled as his eyes got this slightly glazed expression, "They were the first ones I really noticed... the first time I saw you in that bikini... I didn't understand how I'd never really noticed you had these before... and then once I did see them, it was like they were all I could look at. Those first couple of days, I was pretty much hard all the time... I just had to look at you and my eyes would drift down to your chest and bingo... completely aroused and mortified all at the same time." He fell silent for a minute or so, "I thought there was something wrong with me..." he told her softly, "Especially when I looked at other women around the pool and they didn't have the same affect. Then I felt guilty about the fact it was you..."

"Why?" she asked in confusion.

"You were so young and sweet and innocent... and I was getting myself off to thoughts of you... it felt like I was using you..."

"And after the first few days?" she asked in interest.

His hands drifted down her body and moved to her waist, "I brought a dirty magazine," he admitted, his face flushing as he told her, "I was hoping I'd be able to use that, instead of thinking about you... but my head is a warped place and I look at the pictures but it would be your head I would see on each body and while it clearly wasn't you, it was as if it was."

"Joe..." she said softly, her thumb stroking the back of his neck as she saw the embarrassment on his face. He glanced up at her, "It's okay," she whispered. "I understand..."

"It's really not, Lo..." he murmured. "The first time I came... was when we were on holiday. It was the night after I'd first noticed you..." he paused and Lauren leant forward and kissed him softly, "I'd gone to bed so confused by what had happened... or maybe it was more why it had happened... anyway you were all I dreamt of that night." He looked at her face, "Nothing dirty... just seeing you walking towards the pool in your bikini and smiling at me... and there might have been an imagined kiss," his voice grew quieter as he spoke, "Anyway, I woke up and I was hard. I knew I had to deal with it and I tried to not think of you but it wasn't working... then you knocked on my door and told me breakfast was ready and before I knew what was happening, I was coming. And it just went on from there really... it was always you, Lo... nothing else affects me the way you do."

"I'm just glad you don't have to imagine it anymore... that neither of us do." She told him softly.

His eyes widened, "You thought about me?"

She nodded, "You were the only guy I really loved... I couldn't imagine it being anyone else because no one else means as much to me as you do." She told him simply. "No one else ever could, JoJo."

It was Joey's turn to kiss her now and it lasted quite some time as they both deepened it naturally. Lauren gasped as his fingers brushed her opening and Joey took advantage of the situation and slipped his tongue in her mouth. She moaned as she felt her body react when he pushed two fingers inside her, stroking them in and out of her body slowly. Her hand clutched his shoulder, feeling her body starting to tingle in a now very familiar way. Joey pulled his fingers from her, "You ready?" he asked softly. She nodded, unable to say anything to him. She watched as he gripped his length in the same hand and stroked himself a couple of times. He placed the tip at her entrance and looked at her face, silently asking permission. She nodded, holding her breath as he pushed into her, edging slowly inside. It hurt less this time, although it still stung a little. Joey was right, it felt different this time. Once he was fully inside her, it felt like he was deeper than the first time they'd done this. Joey was gripping her hips now, holding them a little too tightly and she briefly wondered if there would be bruises tomorrow. He kissed her on the lips softly, his tongue brushing across her lips before she let him into her mouth. She briefly lost herself in the passion of his kiss, forgetting all about the fact they were again making love... and that's what they were doing... this wasn't just sex between them, even she knew that. The intense feelings between them and their closeness and lifelong friendship meant this could never just be sex... it was always bound to be something more. His thumb pressed against her clit, bringing her back to awareness with a jolt and she yanked her mouth away from his and moaned, her head falling back as a million emotions pulsed through her body. When she looked at his face again he was watching her closely and she smiled at him. His hands were back on her hips and then he was urging her to lift off him slightly. She followed his silent instructions, moaning as she lowered herself back onto him. These were pretty powerful feelings she was having and she could already feel her orgasm beckoning in the distance.

Joey watched her face, seeing the emotions she was feeling clearly on display. He hadn't realised how much he would enjoy this; he knew it was a good position for Lauren... that she would feel it so much more but he hadn't known how that would then make it as good as it was for him too. His hands shifted to her hips again, helping make her movements larger but also slower. Lauren was biting her bottom lip now and to be honest, Joey thought the way she looked now should be illegal. No one should look as sexy as she currently did... he wasn't sure it was even possible. His eyes drifted lower, focusing once more on her chest... They really were the definition of perfect as far as he was concerned. In reality all of her was perfection but her boobs were amazing.

Lauren leant forward and rested her forehead against his, still moving slowly on him. Joey could tell she was very close to coming now, her body tightening on his length more and more with each movement of her body. His cock was desperate for release and as she sank on him again he wrapped his arms around her waist and held her against him. She moved her head away and frowned at him, "It's okay, Lo..." he said as he moved so he was lying on his back. He pulled her body down on top of him and she moaned as her clit pressed against his groin. His arm loosened and she pushed her body up slightly, resting most of her upper body weight on her hands that were either side of his head. The angle he was entering her body had changed again when they'd moved and each movement from Lauren brought a small moan from her mouth.

"Joe, Joe, Joe, Joe, Joe..." she moaned as she fell over the edge, her body squeezing his length and shoving him to his own peak. Lauren collapsed on top of him, pressing her face into his neck and kissing him tenderly. "Wow..." she eventually breathed against his skin.

"Good then?" he asked.

"Mmm hmm..." She murmured, "We'll be doing that again, JoJo..."

"Good to know, baby." He told her softly.

TBC

**A/N: Hope you liked that... That's it for today but I'll be back tomorrow.**

**Next chapter's guest artist is a repeat appearance by... Robbie Williams... which one have I chosen this time?**


	9. Chapter 9: Feel

**So two correct guesses of the chapter title (well done Abby (that's two now if you're keeping score) and Popscb (I do believe that's your second one as well)). I hope you enjoy this chapter... I'm pretty sure most of you will...  
**

**Chapter 9: Feel.**

It had been five weeks since the cousins had started their relationship and so far both were very happy with the step they'd taken together. Nobody had yet discovered the change in their relationship status and they were both happy about that too. Their times together had been hampered slightly by the fact Joey had got a job at Uncle Jack's boxing gym. His parents were insisting he started earning his living and doing something with his life and Uncle Jack had been good enough to step in and offer him something. Joey had even decided to go back to college so he could qualify to train people at the gym. He had dropped out of school while studying his A-levels, not long after starting the beginning of his last year because he'd hated it; he'd hated the subjects he was learning; hated the monotony of each day and knew with a passion that learning was not going to be any part of his future... to his parents dismay. But now he was going back to college and because he'd missed the first few weeks of the course he had to work pretty hard to try and make up all of that as well as what he was now studying... and he was the first to admit he'd never been the best student at school so he wasn't finding it easy. He'd spoken to Lauren about it a little and although she'd tried to make him feel better it hadn't really helped with the bigger issue of how much work he had to do. So instead she'd helped him study – which ate into more of the time where they could be exploring their relationship.

Tonight though they were alone; Alice was staying at a friend's and Joey's parents had gone away for the night as well. And Joey had plans. He had managed to catch up on his work finally and he was having a well earned night off from studying. He wanted the two of them to take a step further in their relationship.

He swung the door open as Lauren walked up to it. Not that he'd been watching for her or anything... he most certainly wouldn't admit to that anyway. "Come in, Lo..." he said softly. They walked into the lounge and Lauren put her bag down on the couch. "Do you want a drink, babe?" he asked.

"I'm fine. Thanks." She turned to face him, "Only think I want is you, Joe." She said with a smile.

He smiled at her and stepped forward, lifting her onto his shoulder in a fireman's lift, making her shriek in surprise and then giggle. He carried her upstairs and dumped her unceremoniously on his bed. He jumped onto the bed beside her and kissed her passionately. "It's been too long since I've been able to do that," he whispered as they pulled apart.

"Far too long..." she agreed, pressing her lips against his again.

When they eventually pulled apart after another round of heated kisses, Joey stared at Lauren, "Do you trust me?" he asked her softly.

"Of course I do, JoJo."

"I want to try something with you..." he told her gently.

"What?" she asked.

"It's a surprise..." he said.

"I trust you..." she confirmed.

"Take your clothes off..." he told her gently. To her credit Lauren only paused for a couple of seconds before getting up from the bed and quickly removing her clothes. Over the last two weeks she had become a lot less shy around him when it came to taking her clothes off. Joey clambered off the bed and stood behind her, grabbing something from his desk that she couldn't see. "Close your eyes..." he whispered in her ear. She did as he asked with no question. He pulled one of her scarves (that he'd taken from her room the week before) from behind his back and tied it around her head so that it covered her eyes.

"JoJo?" she whispered.

"Trust me..." he whispered to her, feeling her relax as he said those two words. Placing his hands on her shoulders he led her back to the bed and then helped her lie down. "I'll be back in a few minutes," he whispered, kissing her irresistible mouth softly before leaving his room. He walked back into the room and placed the various items he'd brought with him on the bed. Lauren was still lying in exactly the same position as she had been when he left the room and he took a couple of minutes to appreciate how she looked. "Lo, you are stunningly beautiful..." he said softly. He strode over to his desk and picked up the last two things he needed before joining her on the bed.

"What are you up to, JoJo?"

"I want you to let yourself feel everything, Lo... so not being able to see should help with that."

"Okay..." she said softly.

Joey let the room fall silent for a few minutes, the room increasing in intensity with each second. Finally he picked up the first object he was going to use and let it drip onto her chest, smiling as she gasped and then whimpered his name. He ran the object down from the base of her neck and over the top of one breast. Her nipple stiffened and he could see Lauren was biting her lip. "Ice, Joe... that's just cruel..." she whispered. Joey just smiled and then trailed the rapidly melting cube over to her other peak, repeating his actions and seeing her shiver slightly as her body cooled wherever he dragged the ice. In no time at all, the cube had fully melted. Joey smiled and picked up the next object. A candle. He blew it out and let it cool down slightly. Carefully, making sure he only tipped it onto the ice-numbed skin he poured some of the melted wax onto her chest. "What's that?" she asked softly.

"You tell me..."

"It's warm..." she said. "Is it chocolate?" she asked.

"No..." he said, smiling.

"Honey?" she said.

"It's nothing edible, Lo..." he said, giving her a clue.

She's silent for a little while as she contemplates what it could be. "I don't know, JoJo... you're going to have to tell me."

Joey put the candle on his bedside table and then moved so he was lying beside her. He kissed the shoulder that was closest to him, moving his mouth slowly towards her neck and then up to her jaw. Once he was close enough he whispered in her ear, "Candle wax..."

Lauren gasped and turned her head towards him, giving Joey the perfect opportunity to kiss her on the mouth. "What if you'd burned me?" she whispered.

"Well, firstly I would've kissed it better... and secondly, that's why I used the ice first to numb your skin a little." He saw her smile at him and he kissed her again. She really was addictive.

"What's next?" she asked.

"Well I need to remove the wax..." he said with a slight smirk. His fingers barely touched her body, drifting across her stomach until his hand cupped a breast. His thumb grazed over the nipple, pushing the hardened wax off. He did the same to her other breast and then moved his mouth to each one and bathed them with his tongue.

Lauren's hand lifted off the mattress and she brushed her fingertips through his hair. He had discovered in the few weeks they were together that she liked it when he paid attention to her breasts. It was one of the reasons he'd started there today. Of course, it might also have had something to do with the fact he was fascinated with them as well. "Joe..." she whimpered as he pulled one peak into his mouth and sucked on it hard.

"I'm not sure you can even comprehend how much I'm in love with your boobs, babe..." he whispered against her skin.

"As long as that's not the only part of me you like, Joe, I really don't mind..." she told him.

He stretched his neck and kissed her mouth hungrily, his hand lifting and caressing her face as the kiss deepened. "I love all of you, babe... every single millimetre of your body entices me in and I want to lose myself in you forever..." he breathed against her mouth, feeling the slight hitch of her breath as he spoke. Joey rolled away from her, pulling her with him so she was draped over his body and he spent several minutes just kissing her.

"Touch me, Joe..." she begged as she tore her mouth from his.

"Tell me where," he said softly.

"Between my legs..." she whispered, shifting against him slightly. Joey knew she was pretty close to coming just from the few small things he'd done. She was always responsive when it was him touching her it seemed.

He dragged his hand over her stomach, moving in the opposite direction from earlier. His forefinger circled around her clit and Lauren sighed loudly. "Did you like that?" he asked. She nodded, licking her lips as she breathed heavily. She moved away from him, rolling back onto her back and letting her legs fall apart as his finger continued to tease her nub. "Is this what you meant?" he asked, knowing full well it wasn't. She shook her head. "What do you want me to do then?" he breathed in her ear.

Lauren gasped as his hot breath sent her already heightened emotions ricocheting through her body. "Touch me properly, JoJo... make me come..." she pleaded with him.

"Not yet, baby..." Joey said with a smile, pulling away from her and returning to the items he'd selected. He lifted one in his hand, brushing it over her body with a barely there touch. He heard her breathy moan as she tried to increase the contact he made with her body. He ran it over her clit and he watched as she bit her lip hard. "Does that feel good, Lo?" he asked her softly.

"Why are you torturing me, JoJo?" she all but sobbed.

"I told you what this was about, Lo..." he said gently, "Don't you like what I'm doing to you?" he asked. There was a little part of him that was worried she was going to answer no.

"You know I love it... but you're teasing me," She whimpered.

"It's only teasing if I don't intend to follow through, babe... and I'm definitely going to be giving you exactly what you want..."

"But I want that now..." she whispered, her lips forming the perfect pout.

"Patience is a virtue, babe..."

She sighed. "As long as you keep your promise I can wait a little longer." She eventually whispered.

Joey smirked and turned his attention back to the feather he'd been teasing her with earlier. He dragged it down her leg all the way to her ankle. He ran it slowly back up her other leg then circling it around her clit. She moaned loudly and it made his smile grow. "Do you want me to move onto the next thing?" She nodded. He kissed her tenderly as he threw the feather over the side of the bed. He pulled the bottle out of the bag and flipped open the lid. He thought of what she said earlier and grinned. He tipped the bottle upside down and drizzled it over her chest, stomach and slightly lower.

Lauren gasped as she felt the liquid hit her body. Yet again she had no idea what it was he was using but it was undoubtedly turning her on. Her body felt like it was on fire and she almost wished he had another ice cube he could use to cool her down. Joey had stopped again and she listened intently, trying to hear what he was doing now. She heard the faint rustling of a carrier bag and then there was a popping sound that might've been a lid of some kind. The next sound she heard was all too familiar and she giggled as she heard him spray squirty cream in various places over her body. The cream was slightly cold, offering her some relief from her earlier discomfort. She heard him place the can on his bedside table, feeling the bed shift slightly as he moved. Then... nothing. "Joe?" she whispered.

"Just working out where to start..." he answered her unspoken question. "I have my own chocolate sundae lying before me and I'm torn about which bit looks more tempting."

"It was chocolate..." Lauren murmured. Turning her attention back to Joey, "If you don't hurry up I'm going to melt..." she told him.

"Wise words, Lo..." he said softly. His lips pressed against her neck and she sighed as his mouth caressed her skin. He slowly descended down her body, his tongue brushing the cream and chocolate off her breasts that left her practically purring on the bed. The tension within her was again increasing and she could feel an orgasm threatening to hurtle through her once more. His mouth moved lower and it was tantalisingly close to where she was desperate for him to be. Tongue and lips moved ever closer but seemed to be avoiding the one place she needed him to touch her. Instead his tongue was licking away the chocolate and cream mess that he'd lavishly daubed over the whole of her body.

Apparently Joey was still a boy at heart. It reminded Lauren of the times when they were both young and he would put the cream on his puddings. If she'd not been wearing the blindfold she knew she would've seen an intense look of concentration on his face as he no doubt used the whole canister of cream on her. Her attention was drawn back to him as he finally pressed his mouth against her clit, his tongue brushing over it softly. Then a finger was pushed into her and she was one step closer to reaching her peak. Over the next few minutes he added two more fingers. Lauren's hands clutched at the duvet cover as she began to breathe heavily, Joey continuing his mission to make her come. He pulled away from her and chuckled as she groaned. Her hand reached out towards him, trying to push his head back to where it'd just been. She could feel the emotions starting to fade and she knew that was his intention. Now she wasn't sure he'd been telling the truth with what he'd said earlier. She'd thought so at the time but now she wasn't convinced. "JoJo..." she whispered, hearing the desperation in her voice.

"Stop worrying, Lo..." he said softly.

"You promised..." she reminded him.

"Have I ever let you down?"

"Then make me come..." she whimpered, shifting on the bed.

"You're sure that's what you want?" he asked.

Lauren could hear the smirk in his voice and she snapped, nearly biting his head off, "JOEY!"

"Okay... fine. If I must..." He smiled again when he saw her poke her tongue out at him. "Take off the blindfold..." he said softly. His smile grew as he saw her pretty much tear the blindfold away from her face. Her eyes were dark and bore into his as he lowered his mouth once more to her clit. He spent a couple of minutes sucking on her, seeing and hearing her arousal climb. He moved his mouth lower and licked the length of her opening. He moved his thumb to her clit, pressing on it hard as he pushed his tongue inside. She moaned again, her legs clamping on his head and urging him on. He relented and gave her what she wanted and she screamed his name... louder than he had ever heard her before. He kissed his way back up her body, her arms wrapping around his neck as he kissed her on the mouth, settling his body on top of hers. "Hey beautiful..." he said softly.

"Hey..." she whispered. She kissed him again. "JoJo..." he quirked an eyebrow at her, "Why the fuck are you still wearing clothes?"

TBC

**A/N: So what did you think? Pretty hot, right? Who knew Joey had that in him? Back later with the next chapter.**

**Next chapter's guest artist is... Adele... Can you guess which song it's going to be?**


	10. Chapter 10: Set Fire To The Rain

**So there were no correct guesses for this chapter's title - although many suggestions (you know who you are) for Make You Feel My Love - which is very nearly the track I used... but this seemed more appropriate given what happens in this chapter. Enjoy! It picks up directly from the end of the last chapter...  
**

**Chapter 10: Set Fire to the Rain.**

"I don't intend to be for much longer, Lo... don't worry..." he whispered. He pulled away from her, rising till he was kneeling between her legs. "You are so beautiful..."

"You keep saying that, JoJo..."

"If I tell you often enough, I hope that you might start to believe it."

"I believe it when you say it," she whispered.

Joey studied her face carefully, "You don't fully believe it though, do you?"

"It gets easier to believe every time you say it..." She admitted.

He climbed off the bed, starting to remove his clothes. All the time he watched Lauren... seeing her eyes run up and down his body as he pulled off his shirt. His hands moved to his jeans and he pushed them down his legs, still aware of her eyes on him. He moved back to her side and picked her up in his arms. "Come on then, beautiful..." he said.

"What are you doing, Joe?" she giggled. "Joe... what if your mum and dad come home?" she asked as he walked towards the door of his room.

"They're not coming home..." he reassured her, "And you need a shower... You're all sticky..."

"Well someone covered me with chocolate sauce and cream..." she said, lifting her head off his shoulders and kissing his jaw.

"And I licked most of it off again." He said, "I may have missed some of it though." He added, "So I think you should have a shower, Lo... and I'm going to join you and make sure you don't miss anything."

"Me and you... in the shower...?" she whispered. He nodded at her and Lauren buried her face in his neck, kissing his skin softly.

"I take it you like that idea?" he asked her.

"Yeah..." she murmured.

Joey lowered her feet to the floor and pulled her against him so he could kiss her. Her hands moved to his boxers and she was shoving them down his legs in a matter of seconds. "Eager?" he chuckled against her mouth.

"Well, I am all sticky..." she whispered.

Joey moved away from her, kicking off his boxers and turned on the shower, testing the water and waiting for it to warm up. He felt Lauren move behind him and wrap her arms around his waist. "Come on you..." he said softly, turning and lifting her off the floor again. He pulled her against his body, kissing her again and stepped backwards into the shower. Once they were under the water Joey didn't waste any time in pushing her against one of the tiled walls surrounding them. He pressed his hips against hers as he deepened the kiss. "God, I want you so much, Lo..." he moaned.

"What's stopping you, JoJo?" she whispered.

"We don't have a condom..."

"Oh..." She couldn't hide the disappointment in her voice. "Does that matter?" she asked him softly, staring into his eyes.

"It matters, Lo..." he sighed, his heart racing at her words. "We don't want to make a mistake, do we?" he told her gently.

"You think us being together would be a mistake?" She asked, tears clearly visible in her eyes.

"I think we'd be taking a risk that could result in a mistake neither of us is ready for..."

"So... we're not going to..." Her shoulders sagged slightly.

"I wish we could..." he murmured.

"Go, Joe..."

"What?" he asked, pulling away from her slightly.

"Go..." she repeated. She sighed when she realised he didn't understand what she was saying, "Go and get one, Joe... I think we've waited long enough, don't you?" she asked him, tilting her head to one side.

"You're sure...?" he asked, "I don't want you to think I've pushed you into this..." he said gently.

"JoJo, I've wanted this for days... since the first time we did this... so please, go and get the condom so I can feel again what it's like when you make love to me..." she said softly.

Joey rested his head briefly on her shoulder and then lowered her feet once more to the floor. He left her leant against the tiled wall but as he turned she pushed herself upright and slapped his ass with her hand, giggling at the shocked look on his face when he looked back at her. He wrapped a towel around his waist and dashed from the room. He was back in the room in less than a minute and after dropping the towel Lauren watched as he rolled the condom on. He glanced at her face and Lauren could see the desire written all over his face. He was in the shower, just inches from her moments later and then he lowered his hands to her waist and pulled her against him. He kissed her deeply and when she moaned into his mouth she could've sworn she heard him growl. His next actions took her by surprise, his fingers pushing into her quickly, stroking in and out of her body. It felt amazing... it always did but this time he was touching her more forcefully. He wasn't hurting her, if anything what he was doing felt fantastic. "I want you so badly, Lo..." he panted into her ear.

"Then why aren't you?" she whispered.

"Because I'm..." he sighed, "so desperate, I'm likely to hurt you."

"Joey, I want you as bad as you want me... I want you in me... and I don't mean your fingers..." she breathed in his ear. This time he definitely growled and then he pulled his fingers from her and pressed his whole body against hers, Lauren now being trapped between his body and the cool tiles behind her. He kissed her neck, slowly rising up her neck before he hungrily kissed her on the mouth. "JoJo..." she whimpered when she dragged her mouth from his.

"Patience..." he whispered.

"Do you know how much I hate that word right now?" she said.

Joey ran his hand down her thigh, gripping her leg slightly and lifting it off the floor. He wound her leg around his waist and Lauren felt his length pressing against her body. Her arms were around his neck and she decided to take matters into her own hands, lifting her other leg off the floor and locking her feet behind his back. He moaned again and then he was sinking into her and they both moaned. "I'd forgotten how good it felt to do this with you, Lo..." he breathed.

"Mmm..." Lauren moaned. Her body was stretching around him and while it was slightly painful, it wasn't as bad as it had been before.

Joey crushed his mouth to hers, the passion between the two of them climbing. His hips moved against her and she tightened on him, her fingernails digging into the skin at the top of his spine. His hands gripped her waist and he moved faster, his hips pounding against hers more forcefully. "It's not going to be long, babe..." he told her softly, "I've wanted this too long with you..." Lauren's back arched away from the tile and she came, his words pushing her over the edge and she cried out his name. Joey pulled his face away from her, watching her face as she came, her features a picture of perfection as she fell apart. "That's it, baby... come for me..." he whispered to her.

"Only you..." she whimpered.

Joey could see she was calming down and he renewed his efforts, wanting to make her come again... hopefully with him this time. "Are you ready for more?" he asked her tenderly. She nodded her head, licking her lips. He started again, the temperature rising between them once more. The water that fell on them had started to turn cold now but neither of them really noticed. And more importantly they didn't care either. Just a few minutes later Joey was throbbing inside her and Lauren was just behind him. This time she kissed his neck, her teeth nipping his skin slightly. She clung to him tightly, gasping for breath as she tried to calm.

"I love you, JoJo..." she murmured, resting her head on his shoulder.

"I love you too, LoLo," he said, kissing her forehead tenderly. He pulled them both back into the centre of the shower, his length slipping from her as they moved. Her legs were still wound around his waist and it was almost as if she was physically exhausted. He thought about that and he realised he had made her come three times since she'd got up to his room. That seemed to be a fair enough reason for her barely being able to keep her eyes open.

TBC

**A/N: Set fire to the rain indeed... or shower (close enough)... Thoughts?**

**Next chapter's guest artist will be... George Michael... So let me know what song you think it might be... and it's solo artist material**


	11. Chapter 11: Fast Love

**So I had lots of correct guesses for this chapter title (Eastendersfan444, popscb and chloem93). Also for those who haven't seen, I posted a long shot last night - it's really long... I'd be interested to hear your thoughts.  
**

**Chapter 11: Fast Love.**

Lauren jogged down the stairs at the front of her house. It was half term and she was bored. She had been for days. You'd think that because there was no school she would be spending all her time with Joey but... no, he'd been busy at the gym and he was studying for an exam he had next week. So she'd only seen him once... twice if you included the family dinner in the pub at the weekend. This meant that Lauren was pretty frustrated. She hadn't done anything more than a quick kiss when no one else was around. Joey was so busy and although she knew he had little choice in a lot of the things keeping him away from her, she couldn't help resenting it though. She'd gone through sixteen years of her life never knowing what it was to love someone the way she loved Joey but now, in the space of almost two months she missed it when she couldn't be with him. She desired those times with him and so having had to wait what was nearly three weeks... it had felt much longer. She wanted to feel his hands on her skin, his lips on her mouth and his cock... well I guess I don't need to finish that sentence...

*JL*JL*

The door swung open as she walked up to it and she smiled when she saw Joey standing there. He'd obviously just got home from work because he was in his jogging bottoms and a white vest top. She lost herself for a moment as she gazed at his arms and reminded herself that he was all hers and it took her a few seconds to realise he was talking to her. "Huh?" She said, looking at his face and seeing a smirk firmly in place. Busted!

"I was asking if you wanted to come in?" he said, "but if you'd rather stay where you are... you're more than welcome to." He teased her.

"JoJo..." she said, frowning at him and stepping over the threshold. She walked past him and yelped as he grabbed her arm. He slammed the door shut and pushed her back against it, grinding his hips against hers as he kissed her passionately. It seemed she wasn't the only one who was a little desperate for some action. She moaned his name as she felt his hand brush under her skirt and into her knickers and she whimpered as his fingers brushed her opening.

"So ready for me, Lo..." he murmured. "Are you as eager for this as I am?" he asked her.

"Always eager for you, Joe." She whispered. She slipped her hand into his jogging bottoms and boxers and gripped his length in her palm. He groaned as she stroked him and Lauren was surprised at the speed of what was happening. "Condom..." she gasped and she felt Joey fumble blindly for his jacket that hung on the wall to his left. Seconds later she was passed the small foil square. She pushed him away from her and tore open the packet. She glanced up at Joey's face and saw the heat in the depths of his eyes. He wanted this as much as she did. "Where are we doing this?"

He tilted his head slightly, smiling at her, "Right here..." he whispered and Lauren had to close her eyes and take a deep breath as his words had an impact. She pulled him back towards her, kissing his mouth, her tongue brushing against his as she deepened it. Using both hands she shoved his jogging bottoms and boxers off his hips, barely getting them to his thighs before she was rolling the condom onto him. She brushed her hand over him again once he was ready and he stepped closer to her. "Come here, baby..." he said softly, kissing her forehead so innocently. His hand however wasn't being quite as innocent as he yanked her knickers down her legs. His fingers brushed her opening again, the tips of them pushing into her slightly. "Are you ready for me, Lo?"

"Desperate..." she whispered. He pressed his hips against hers, bending his knees slightly and pushing into her, his hips slamming against hers as he groaned into her neck.

"I've missed this so much, Lo." He gasped, his pace was brutal but Lauren didn't care. Her skirt was around her waist and if anyone was to see them now she wasn't sure what they would look like. She hadn't even taken off her coat but she was doing the one thing she'd been dreaming about for at least ten days. She didn't care what anyone thought... she needed and wanted Joey.

They came together, clinging to each other as they then calmed. Both were breathing deeply and Joey was the only thing keeping Lauren upright. "Well, that's another thing I like then..." she giggled, kissing Joey's damp, sweaty shoulder.

"Huh?"

"Hard and fast, against a wall..." she sighed softly, her head now resting on his shoulder, "Are you going to take me upstairs and showing me the merits of slow and gentle too?" she asked him.

"If that's what you want... you know I always try to please my girl..."

His words made her feel special. She knew he would never talk to anyone else like he did her. In the same way he never behaved like he did with any other girl he'd been out with when it came to her as well. He pulled away from her slightly and pulled his jogging pants up to his waist. He picked her up in his arms and carried her up the stairs and into his room, doing just as she asked for the next hour.

TBC

**A/N: So short but very sweet, right? Let me know what you thought...**

**Next chapter's guest artist will be... Texas... Can you guess the song?**


	12. Chapter 12: Black Eyed Boy

**There was just one correct guesser with the chapter title for this one - the lovely Eastendersfan444 - who's on a roll with two consecutive correct guesses. So today is the last day with 2 chapters in one day... although the chapters will be much longer from hereon out. Enjoy!**

**Chapter 12: Black Eyed Boy.**

A week later Joey could barely bring himself to do his work, of which he had plenty. Despite the fact he'd thought his course would be pretty easy going, it turned out that was far from the truth. He'd thought the course would just be working out how to decide on the exercises for the people he would be working with but it went a lot deeper than that. Wanting to be a personal trainer meant learning a lot about the how the body responds to things and how to prevent injuries and what to do if someone became injured. Needless to say, for someone who'd scraped through his GCSE's and dropped out of his A-levels, this was all quite a stretch for him. He didn't want to admit it but he was really struggling and no one seemed to understand. He didn't want to be a disappointment to his parents again. One of the few things in his life that he'd always enjoyed was now rapidly becoming something he hated... but he didn't want to tell anyone how much he was having problems. He'd tried to speak to Lauren about it briefly but he hadn't communicated it very well because she hadn't understood how badly he was doing... she had tried to help him with his studying though which he appreciated. He sighed and his head rolled back on the couch, his eyes closing for just a few seconds.

*JL*JL*

Joey woke with a start. It felt different and it took him a little while to realise someone was sitting on his lap... a very familiar someone. He opened his eyes and smiled at her, "I thought you'd be over later..."

"It is later..." she said with a smile. "I saw your mum and sister leaving the house and I thought I'd surprise you... Surprise!" she said softly, her smile widening.

"Definitely surprised..." he said, "This reminds me of that afternoon... our first time." He said, his hands brushing up her thighs.

"It was meant to..." Lauren leant forward and initiated a kiss, her tongue slipping between his lips and brushing against his, just like she had that first time. "You haven't shaved today," she whispered as her hands cupped his face.

"Too busy studying..." he breathed before her mouth met his again.

"How's that going?" she asked tentatively.

"Let's not ruin a good thing by talking about my never-ending work..." he whispered, his hand rising and cupping a breast. Lauren shifted forward on his lap, pressing herself against him. This was different from that time, she was more confident with her actions now but Joey couldn't say he didn't like it.

"Is this okay?" she murmured, not a sign of hesitation in her voice this time. She smiled slightly when she saw that he remembered her saying the same words that first time. She hoped he could see it was different this time. She felt like she'd grown up so much since their relationship began and hopefully today would show him that.

"God, yes..." he whispered, answering again in the same way. "Maybe we should take this up to my room?" he suggested softly and she chuckled. Joey wrapped his arms around her and stood up from the couch. Lauren wound her arms around his neck, shifting more assuredly against his body as she felt his erection. Joey found that her confidence was as much of a turn on as her lack of it had been that first time. If he was being honest, everything she did turned him on... there was no escaping that and he didn't want to.

*JL*JL*

Joey carried Lauren up his room, like he had done many times before, including that first time. "What do you want, Lo?" he asked softly as he lowered her to the floor.

"I want that day all over again, Joe... I want it just like it was that day..." she whispered, kissing his neck.

Joey smiled, lifting her chin and kissing her softly, pulling her against his body and walking backwards to his bed. "Are you sure this is what you want, Lo?" She nodded. "I need to hear you tell me, babe."

She smiled as she heard those words from him. She wondered if he knew how unsure she'd really been when she said her next words last time. "I want this, Joe. I want you..." She said, holding his gaze and let him see the truth in her eyes.

"I believe you this time," he said, answering her previous thought without her asking. "How about we take off some of these clothes..." he asked her gently. He stared at her, feeling she was more relaxed this time and he lifted his hand and brushed her hair back, tucking it behind her ear. "Stand up..." he said softly, helping her to her feet as she slid off his lap. He stood behind her, "Do you want me to undress you?" he whispered in her ear. She knew what he was going to say but the way he said it and the sound of his voice in her ear made her gasp softly. Even though she wasn't wearing her school uniform this time she was still wearing a skirt and that was where he started... just like he had done then. He slowly lowering the zip and let it fall to the floor. "Every time I see you, you just get more beautiful..." he murmured to her gently.

Her belief of his words was there now... he said it often enough for her to start to believe him but this was about reliving that first night so she turned to face him. "I'm nothing special, Joe..." she said back to him... letting him see the lie in her words.

"To me, you are..." he told her softly, his words still as sincere as they'd been the first time he'd said them.

"Charmer..." she said with a smirk.

"Just telling the truth..." he said with a shake of his head and a wry smile. His hands moved to her top and he began to undo the buttons. He slipped it off her shoulders so it joined her skirt on the floor. She was standing there before him in just her underwear. He looked at her face, "You know what to do..." he whispered.

She stared up at his face and then she stood on her tiptoes and kissed him on the mouth. She pulled away from him and lowered her eyes, her hands moved to the waistband of his jeans. She bit her lip as she slowly undid them and then pushed them from his hips and down his legs. Even after the many times she'd done this there was this small moment of panic that ran through her... she wondered if there always would be. The large bulge hidden within his pants was also pretty terrifying even after all this time; terrifying but fantastic all at the same time.

Joey took her hand in his and pulled her to follow him as he climbed onto his bed. Lauren lay facing him, staring into his eyes. He couldn't wait any longer, he leant forward and kissed her, pressing her back slightly into the bed as he hovered over her. His hand ran over her body, rising up and cupping a breast. He pulled his mouth from hers and stared into her eyes, breathing deeply as he brushed his thumb over the peak of her bra. "Still better than I imagined it to be..." he said softly.

"Take it off..." she murmured, less hesitant for him to do this now. Once he'd removed it he stared at her boobs, just like he had then. Lauren was pretty sure he would every time they did this. She was looking forward to the next bit... while he was obsessed with her breasts, Lauren loved his obsession almost as much. She liked him paying attention to that part of her body and when he leant down and pulled one peak between his lips, Lauren closed her eyes instinctively and cradled his head in her hands as his mouth worshipped her breast. "Joe..." she gasped again. "I want you, Joe..."

"I want you too, Lo." He told her tenderly.

Lauren bit her lip and placed her hand on Joey's chest. Staring into his eyes she ran her hand slowly down his body until she reached his pants and it settled on the bulge within. Joey closed his eyes, absorbing how she was more confident this time but the feel of her hand on him still took his breath away. He hoped he never got used to it. "Can I touch you?" she whispered to him. He made himself pause for a few seconds before nodding his head. Lauren didn't wait for him to instruct her this time, she knew what she was doing now so she reached for his boxers and tugged them down his legs, Joey lifting his hips to aid the process. Then she pushed her knickers down her legs and threw them on the floor. Once she was lying back beside him he took her hand in his and laced their fingers together, shifting towards her and kissing her softly. Yet again he managed to distract her completely with his mouth and it took her some time before she realised he'd placed their hands on his cock.

They both stroked his length, staring into each other's eyes as they did so. "See what you do to me, baby?" he breathed against her forehead.

Lauren glanced up at his face and stretched her neck so she could kiss him, a kiss that deepened quickly. "Touch me, Joe..." she whispered against his mouth. He did as he had that first time and even though she knew it was coming she still gasped when his fingers brushed past her clit. Her hand hadn't stopped moving on him this time and it now sped up, edging him further on. Lauren moaned and her head fell back as Joey pushed a finger into her. Joey kissed her neck gently as he eased his finger in and out of her smoothly.

"Does that feel good, Lo?" he asked her softly. She nodded, a soft, tender smile on her face as she stared into his dark, almost black eyes.

"More..." she gasped, gripping his cock tighter as Joey started to build momentum and added a second finger. Soon he added a third as well and he felt her body clench around him as he pushed them gently in and out of her. "Feels good..." she whispered.

"Just relax, baby... let yourself feel what I'm doing to you." He told her not for the first or second time. A fourth finger is added to the mix and she moans in the back of her throat, closing her eyes. She was writhing on his bed and it was affecting him as much as her touch had. All too soon she tightened hard around his fingers and her back arched off the bed, her hand stopping moving on him as she reached her peak.

"JoJo... I want you..." she told him softly, staring into his eyes.

Joey rolled away from her and eased a condom onto his length then he pulled her against him again, kissing her repeatedly. His fingers found her opening again and he stroked her softly, feeling her moan into his mouth. He moved so he was now lying on top of her and he eased the tip of his length to her opening. He lifted his head and stared into her eyes intently, seeing the slight nod from her, telling him to go ahead. He eased into her slowly until he was fully seated within her. "Okay?" he asked her softly.

She closed her eyes and remembered the first time he'd asked her. Lauren opened her eyes, looking up into Joey's, her breath taken away by the desire she could see in his darkened eyes "Feels so good..." she whispered.

He leant down and kissed her, "Good..." he breathed against her mouth. "It only gets better from here, baby..." he said, smiling at her tenderly and seeing the returning smile from her.

"Show me..." she whimpered, the memory of what was coming affecting her as much as the here and now. Joey pulled his hips back, withdrawing completely from her before sliding back in and pressing his hips against hers once more. Lauren's arms wrapped around his neck and she hugged him close as she felt the intensity increase the way it had many times before. Like she had then her nails dug into his back and Joey groaned and pressed his face into her neck. They'd lost themselves in the current now rather than the past and yet it was practically the same this time round as well. Joey was moving faster and each shift of his hips brought her tantalisingly closer. Then Lauren's peak was on her and she screamed out his name, his cock pulsed within her as they came together. Joey collapsed on top of her, feeling even more love for the girl beneath him than he had the first time they'd done this.

As he had all those weeks earlier when he slipped from her body he gathered her in his arms, still not wanting to release his hold on her. He was grateful to her for coming over today and taking his mind off everything. "I love you, Lo..." he whispered to her.

"I know you do and I love you too, Joe." She replied, "I hope we always have this, JoJo... I don't ever want to lose what we have together."

"If I have my way, you're never going to, baby." He whispered, pulling his duvet over them as they both started to fall asleep.

TBC

**A/N: So Lauren gave Joey their first time together again - but slightly different as Lauren is a little more confident this time... but she wanted to show him how far they'd come (no pun intended).**

**Next chapter's guest artist will be... Charlotte Church... I wonder what song of her's I chose...**


	13. Chapter 13: Crazy Chick

**Well, pretty much every person who guessed the chapter title guessed correctly (lozxtitchx, popscb, chloem93, Eastendersfan444, disarranging, KatieCullen84, guest reviewer Abby and 2 unnamed guest reviewers). Let's face it there was only ever one song that could be chosen really. Enjoy!  
**

**Chapter 13: Crazy Chick.**

Things between Joey and Lauren were fantastic. Their time together was still a little impacted by both of their schoolwork but they made the best of it they could. Fortunately the two of them had spent a lot of time together throughout their lives so it wasn't too much of a surprise for that to happen now. Although nobody questioned it, Joey knew it wouldn't be long before they had to tell their parents. It was getting harder and harder to behave 'normally' around each other... or maybe it was the fact they couldn't behave normally around each other when they weren't alone. Whatever it was, the secrecy about their relationship was coming to an end.

As was usually the case, he had been working on an essay up until about forty minutes earlier. His work had been interrupted by a call from Lauren... a very welcome distraction. He'd answered his mobile but was immediately concerned when he heard her crying on the other end of the phone. She wanted to know if he was alone... she needed to see him. He had expected her to be with him about twenty minutes ago but she still wasn't here and his concern about her was only increasing. He was currently pacing the floor of his lounge, listening over and over for the sound of her footsteps up to the door. The doorbell rang, startling him as he hadn't heard anyone walk up the path but he ran for it, yanking open the door and there she was. His heart broke when he saw she was crying. He stepped closer to her and pulled her into his arms, his hand brushing up and down her back. He kissed her temple, "What's up, baby?" he breathed in her ear.

"Can we go inside?" she sobbed.

"Of course..." he said. He pulled her against his side and led them back into his house, shutting the door behind them. He sat on the couch and pulled her onto his lap, hugging her against him. "Talk to me, baby..."

"It's Lucy..." she said, her crying intensifying once more.

"What's she done now?" He asked, instinctively knowing that she'd done something.

"I can't tell you..." she said, looking into his eyes. "I promised her I wouldn't, Joe... and I keep my promises."

"So how do I help you?" he asked, not pushing her any further.

"You already are, JoJo..." she whispered. "Just keep doing what you're doing now."

"I have an idea..." he said, lifting her in his arms and carrying her up the stairs. Instead of his room, he carried her into the bathroom, sitting her on the toilet. She watched as he started to fill the bath with water. She smiled as he put her favourite bubble bath into the water. Her thoughts drifted to her row with Lucy and the tears began all over again. After a couple of minutes Joey was kneeling in front of her, concern written all over his face. Slowly he started removing her clothes until she sat in just her underwear. He got to his feet and held a hand out towards her, tugging her to her feet when she took it. She pressed her face against his chest, the tears soaking his T-shirt, "Come on you... let's get you in the bath."

"Only if you'll come in with me," She breathed softly.

He smiled into her hair, kissing the top of her head tenderly, "With an offer like that, how can I refuse?" he whispered. He stripped off his clothes, Lauren watching him and biting her lip. Just a few minutes later they were sitting in the bath, Lauren on Joey's lap, cradled against his chest. "I was worried about you..." he said, "I still am if I'm being honest."

"I'll be fine," she whispered. "I'm right where I want to be now."

"I know you said you couldn't tell me... that you're sworn to secrecy and that's fine with me, I'm not going to push you... but what did the stupid crazy bitch do this time?" he breathed in her ear.

"She's not a bitch, Joe..."

He chuckled, "Nice to know you're not disputing the stupid crazy part of my statement, Lo."

"After today I could never argue that..." she whispered. Her hand was brushing up and down his forearm, distracting him slightly. Joey lets the silence grow between them, knowing she'd talk in her own time. "Promise me you'll never say anything?" she murmured.

"You know you don't even have to ask..." he said.

"Lucy slept with Whitney's boyfriend... she told me this morning."

"Whitney?"

"Her 'best friend'..." Lauren whispered. Joey frowned because he was under the impression that Lauren was her best friend. "I hate that she could treat someone as badly as that. Now, every time I see Whitney, I'm going to have to lie to her because I promised to keep her secret."

Joey squeezed her a little tighter against him. He knew how much she hated lying. It had been the one thing that kept tearing her parents apart. "I'm sorry, baby." He whispered.

"She told me she was pregnant..." Lauren whispered, glancing up at his face. "She had an abortion this morning... I went with her, JoJo." More tears ran down her face. "It was the last place I wanted to be but she couldn't go there on her own."

"I know, Lo." He kissed her face softly, leaving his lips pressed against her skin as he thought about how amazing his girlfriend was.

"When I went home with her, her dad was there..." She pulled away from him and stared into Joey's eyes, "She told her dad she had a miscarriage. She didn't want him to be angry with her... so now he's being all sympathetic to her and supportive and she's lapping it up, like she's done nothing wrong." She dissolved into tears against him again and Joey held her tight against him. "She made me lie to her dad, Joe... the look on his face... it broke my heart, JoJo. I don't understand how she can be so callous."

"You recall the part where I said she was stupid and crazy, right?" he said but saw the frown form on his face. "Sorry, too soon for jokes... I don't understand it either, Lo. I'm sorry you've had such a shitty day, baby."

"It's got better in the last half hour." She whispered.

Joey heard the smile on her face as she spoke to him, "I'm glad I could help."

"You always do."

"So in the cause of helping you some more... can I interest you in joining me in my room?" he asked.

"And what do you have planned... if I was take you up on your offer?" she giggled.

Joey's hand brushed down her body, his fingers slipping between her legs and running over her core. "I thought we could have some time alone and I could show you how much I love you." He said softly. Lauren gasped and her head rested on his shoulder as she let her legs fall open a little. He continued to touch her, his fingers moving in a haphazard pattern over her body and inside her. It didn't take long for Lauren to have a small orgasm which was what he had intended. "Did that help you make up your mind?" he whispered in her ear.

Lauren nodded her head and turned her face, placing her mouth on his. The kiss was gentle between them but it held the promise of so much more. "I love you, Joe..." she murmured against his lips. Joey lifted her out of the bath, wrapping a towel around her dripping body, disregarding his own as he patted her dry, "You're dripping all over the floor..." she whispered.

"I'll sort it out in a minute... my priority now is you!"

"I don't want you to get sick, Joe."

"I won't... when have you known me to be sick?"

"There was the time you had chickenpox when you were seven... that wasn't fun because we weren't allowed to see each other in case I got it too... and then I got it so we spent days watching movies while your mum looked after me." She said, "Or there was the time you cut your hand open when you were... twelve, I think?... and rather than do anything about it you let it get infected and made yourself really sick." His face flushed as she spoke and she knew she'd struck a nerve. "I just don't want you to be ill, baby..." she said.

He grabbed a towel and wrapped it around her waist. "Happy now..." he asked.

She stepped closer, pressing her body against his, "Very..." She said, tilting her head back and kissing him passionately. "Now I believe you had a plan you were going to execute..."

"You're right, I did..." he said, smiling against her mouth, "I do..." he added, lifting her in his arms and carried her to his bedroom. He lovingly removed the towel and kissed her body all over, focusing on the parts of her he loved the most (boobs, clit and mouth). Her hands ran through his hair, holding his head in place when he was at a place she enjoyed. She had two more small orgasms and she was shaking on the bed beneath him as the second one faded. She wanted more from him... she wanted him. "So do you believe me?"

"Huh?" she whispered.

"How much I love you?" he said softly.

"I'd believe you more if you were making love to me..." she told him.

"Well, I wouldn't want you to be left wanting more now, would I?" he said. "Give me a couple of minutes to sort out the bathroom." He leant forward and kissed her softly. He left the room and returned to the bathroom, pulling out the plug and letting the water drain away. He washed out the bath and then grabbed their clothes and a box of condoms from the cupboard under the sink (his emergency stash) and returned to his room. The sight that met him took his breath away. "What are you doing, Lo?"

"I got lonely..." she whispered, her eyes locked on his face.

He threw the clothes on a chair and slammed the door to his room shut, locking the door. He strode over to the bed, his eyes fixed on her fingers as they stroked in and out of her body. He climbed onto the bed, his eyes running up her body until he was looking in her eyes, "How does that feel?" he asked tenderly.

"Not as good as when you do it..." she admitted, "and nowhere near as good as when you're in me..."

"So you wouldn't be too bothered if I asked you to stop?" he breathed, "It's hot and all but I'd rather be the one touching you and in you..." he murmured, kissing the shell of her ear. He heard the gasp from her and then her hand was clasping his thigh, slipping beneath the towel that barely clung to his hips. She tugged it open, revealing his goods with a small smile. Her eyes darted up to his face and he kissed her softly, "See how much I love you, Lo..." he said, his words turning to a moan as she started to stroke him. "See how you affect me... watching you touch yourself makes me hard, babe. You've always made me hard... you were the first person and you'll be the last person to do so too." She reached for a condom in his drawer, "None left..." he sprang up from the bed and moved to the pile of clothes, rummaging through them to recover the box he'd pilfered from the bathroom. He passed it to her before getting back on the bed. She took one from the box and tore it open, rolling it gently onto his cock. He rolled on top of her and kissed her again.

"Make love to me, JoJo..." she whispered.

He smiled at her, pushing his length into her slowly. They maintained eye contact throughout until Joey kissed her when he was buried inside her. He moved slowly, his mouth and hands caressing her body tenderly. Lauren's hands cupped his head, her body coming alive as he brushed in and out of her. This was the best she had felt since her day had begun. Joey tried not to notice when the tears ran down her face. He knew this had little to do with what he was doing with her now... but much more to do with the crazy chick that was supposed to be her best friend. She came apart quickly once she started to cry and Joey was only a fraction behind her. His body collapsed on hers and her arms wrapping around him, pulling him close to her and holding him in place. Joey supported some of his weight on his arms and stared down at her face, kissing away her tears, "I think it's time we told the parents about us..." he said gently. She froze beneath him, her eyes widening as she stared up at him, "You hate lies, Lo and this is a lie we don't have to keep anymore."

"What if they hate us?"

"It's gonna be fine, baby..." he tried to reassure her. "Nothing they say will tear us apart, LoLo... I promise."

"I hope you're right, JoJo..."

TBC

**A/N: So what did you think? Let me know your thoughts.**

**Tomorrow's chapter will feature the guest artist... Cheryl Cole... which song did you think I chose?**


	14. Chapter 14: Fight For This Love

**I've obviously become far too predictable... there were so many rights guesses for tonight's chapter so here goes... Congratulations to: Katie Cullen 84, popscb, Eastendersfan444, disarranging, , 3 unnamed guest reviewers, 50shades-Jauren-Bangel-Caskett, Samira Rahman, xyoungforeverx, Katiek89, chloem93, naz x, Strizzy and armanii96. Like I said... a bit too predictable... I'll have to see what I can do about that...  
**

**I'll reply to the reviews tomorrow. I'm not feeling too well and have literally turned on my laptop to post this before I go to bed again. So here is the next chapter. Enjoy!**

**Chapter 14: Fight for This Love.**

Lauren and Joey were up in her room. Today was the day; the day they were going to tell their parents about their relationship. Lauren had worked herself up into quite a state about it over the last few days. Joey had spent the last hour with her, trying to reassure her that everything was going to be okay; they were going to be okay. Nothing was going to ruin what the two of them had. Both their sisters were spending the day at Auntie Carol's... watching movies with Liam. So it was just the two of them and their parents. It seemed fate had decided that today was the day they would have the chance to tell them too and Joey was determined to believe that was a good sign.

"What if they tell us we have to split up?" Lauren murmured.

Joey had to fight the urge to roll his eyes as this wasn't the first time she'd asked him this. So he said exactly the same thing to her as he had every other time she'd asked it, "We'll tell them we aren't going to... I'm not going to give you up; give this up, LoLo... You mean more to me than anyone else I've known." His hand brushed the side of her face, thumb stroking her cheek. He lowered his mouth to hers and kissed her softly. "Let's go and speak to the parents, okay?" He took her hand in his and squeezed it tightly. "Come on..." he said.

*JL*JL*

Lauren seriously lagged behind Joey as they walked down the stairs and he had to tug on her hand several times as they neared the lounge. Joey opened the door and both the mums turned to look at them. "Can we have a word?" Joey asked.

"Come in, Joseph..." His dad said.

Lauren tugged her hand from his and followed behind him, folding her arms across her chest as she stood beside Joey. "Is something wrong, sweetheart?" her mum asked, watching her daughter with a frown on her face, seeing how tense she looked.

"Um..." Lauren shifted uncomfortably on her feet, glancing at Joey.

Joey cleared his throat, "There's something we need to tell you and you might not like it..." he said.

"Oh, god, you're not pregnant, are you, Lauren?" her mum asked.

"No, mum..." Lauren said, her face reddening as she saw her dad frown at the thought of her having sex. If only he knew...

"Well, what is it then, Joey?" His dad asked.

"Lauren and I are in love with each other. We've been seeing each other for a couple of months and we thought it was time we told you about it." Joey said. Both of the children looked at their parents, trying to measure what their reactions to Joey's statement would be.

"We're not going to stop seeing each other either..." Lauren whispered. She was tense but she relaxed slightly when she felt Joey slide his arm around her waist.

"We love each other..." Joey repeated. The room fell silent and the four parents looked at each other. "Maybe we should leave you all to talk about it..." he said, "We'll go out... call us if you want to talk to us about this." He ushered Lauren out of the room and they made a run for it, leaving the house as quick as they could. They sat side by side on the swings at the park just a few minutes later, "Well they didn't scream and shout..." Joey said, trying to put a positive spin on it.

"They didn't exactly welcome us with open arms either though, did they?" she whispered. "Who do you think started shouting first... my dad or yours?"

"Probably mine... but I think it would be a close thing, babe."

"We're screwed aren't we?" she whispered. She reached for his hand and he squeezed it gently.

"It'll be okay, LoLo... I promise. We'll be together after this, I swear."

"Even if they tell us to stop seeing each other?"

"Even if..." he said, "We've got to fight for this, Lo... You knew it wasn't going to be easy, we both did." They fell silent again and it was only broken by the ringing of Joey's mobile. He pulled it from his pocket, "Mum?" He listens to the conversation. "Okay, we'll be back in a few minutes..." He ended the call and looked at Lauren. "They want us to go back to your house."

"Did your mum say what they'd decided?" she asked.

"No... they want to talk to both of us, face to face."

Lauren stood up from her swing, "Let's go face the firing squad then..." she murmured.

Joey stood behind her, turning her to face him and lifting her chin, "Never forget that I love you, okay?" he whispered, pressing his lips to hers tenderly. She moaned into his mouth and tilted her head back further so the kiss deepened. "Let's go... I said we'd be right back..."

"You owe me, Joseph..." Lauren said.

"I do..." he said, smiling at her.

*JL*JL*

The couple walked into the lounge and found the parents had relocated to the dining room table. There were two empty seats at the table and after a quick glance at each other they sat on them. Lauren moved her chair so she was sitting closer to Joey and Joey put his arm around her shoulders. "So what have you decided?" Joey asked, knowing that Lauren would never start the conversation.

It was Lauren's dad that spoke, "We've talked about what you told us..." Max stared at his daughter, "Have you slept with him?"

"Dad...!"

"I asked you a question, Lauren."

"Is it relevant to the decision you've made?" she asked in a whisper.

"I want to know the answer." He stated, staring at her.

"Yes, I have and I'm not ashamed of it." Her dad picked up his glass of whisky and took a sizable swig of it. "Dad, I love him... Joey's the only person I've ever felt this way about. I can't imagine being with anyone other than him. And I haven't... been with anyone else, I mean."

"When did this start?" Her mum asked softly.

"September..." Joey replied.

"And you remembered that she's only sixteen..." His uncle accused him.

"I remembered Uncle Max..." Joey said, staring at him. "I love your daughter more than I ever have anyone else..."

"And there have been plenty of them, eh, Joey?"

"Uncle Max... Lo was the first girl I wanted... this isn't just a phase we're going through. We love each other and we plan on being together forever."

"You're far too young to be able to say something like that," his mum told him dismissively.

"Mum, I've known since I was Lauren's age that I loved her..." he whispered.

"Yeah, you loved her so much, you've dated most of the girls in London." Max sniped.

"Dad!" Lauren shouted, shocked by what her dad had just said.

Joey lowered his head, "I only did it because I knew I couldn't be with Lauren." he said softly. "And I only really dated them... it wasn't like I slept with them all. I only slept with three of them..."

"Dad, can you just tell us what your decision is?" Lauren asked him.

It wasn't Max that answered her, it was her uncle, "We're going to allow you to see each other but there are some rules."

"Which are?"

"For the time being, you keep this between us..."

"You want us to lie to everyone?" Lauren whispered.

"Not lie... just don't flaunt it. When you've been together a year, then we can think about starting to tell the rest of the family and everyone else." Her uncle stated, watching them both carefully.

"A year?" Joey said. He looked at Lauren and he could see the tears in her eyes. He knew she would hate this idea... she wouldn't want to hide their relationship. Fuck, he didn't really either. Neither of them, but particularly Lauren liked lying. It was the one thing that made the last couple of months difficult.

"What else?" Lauren whispered. "You said rules... so what else is there?"

It was Derek that spoke again, "You both concentrate on your schooling and not just focus on your relationship... Your futures are more important than anything else... despite what you both think now."

"Fine." Joey said although he wished there was some way he could get out of his college course.

"Lauren, you go on the pill..." Her mum said, "I'll book an appointment with the doctor tomorrow." Her daughter paled but nodded.

"So we're okay?" Joey asked.

"Yes..." his dad responded.

Lauren squealed and threw her arms around Joey's neck, kissing him quickly, not thinking about who was watching her. The kiss broke apart when Lauren's dad cleared his throat uncomfortably. Lauren looked at her dad as she pulled away from Joey, "Thanks dad," she whispered, moving to him and hugging him tightly.

"Your happiness is all that's important to me, babe." He breathed into her hair as he hugged her. "To all of us." He added. Max couldn't help wondering when his baby girl had grown up. He glanced up at his nephew and saw him watching them. "Why don't you go and help your mum get tea, babe?" he said and it was only then that Joey and Lauren realised the other adults had left the room. Lauren left the room, heading for the kitchen, so relieved to have got their sought after permission she wasn't going to create a fuss about having to help her mum. "I think the two of us should have a little chat, Joey..." Max said to his nephew.

"Leave him alone, Maxy..." Joey's dad said as he stood in the doorway.

"I'm entitled to speak to the boy who's dating my daughter." He protested.

Joey's dad came further into the room, "Max, we all knew this was going to happen... Stop acting like this is some huge surprise!" Max scowled and took another large gulp of his drink.

"You knew?" Joey gasped.

"We've expected it for years, Joe..." his dad told him. "If anything, we're more surprised it didn't happen sooner."

"Then what was all the drama a minute ago about?" Joey asked, standing and looking down at his father. He hated being played for a fool.

"Firstly we're your parents... we're entitled to ask those questions." Derek said, smirking at his son's discomfort, "And secondly we wanted to make sure you were serious about this." Derek stepped closer, "Son, you are a lot older than Lauren and this is her first proper relationship... but it isn't yours..."

"So you doubted I was with Lauren for the right reasons?"

"Putting it bluntly, yes." Max said, staring at his nephew.

"What your uncle is trying to say..." Derek said, frowning in his brother's direction, "is that we wanted to make sure that Lauren wasn't going to get hurt in all this; that you weren't going to change your mind. That's one of the reasons for waiting a year before you tell anyone else. There are going to be people who aren't going to like this, son... and there'll be plenty of drama then. This gives you a real chance of making sure this is what you both want before you open yourself up to all that drama."

"Lauren is going to hate it..."

"We know that, Joe..." Max said, "but she'll hate the drama even more." The sound of raised voices in the kitchen floated through to the room, "Maybe you should go and rescue your girlfriend, Joey." Joey smiled at him and made a quick exit for the kitchen.

"Lo?" he said softly as he saw the Mexican stand-off that was underway in the kitchen. She turned to him and stepped into his awaiting arms, her face burying in his chest. Joey held her tightly and glanced at his mum who nodded to him, he led Lauren out of the kitchen and up to her room. "What happened, baby?"

"Mum started telling me I was stupid for not considering going on the pill earlier..." she whispered, his shirt muffling her voice slightly. "Apparently we've been taking a huge risk..." She stopped speaking and Joey knows she's rethinking everything that's just happened, "I told her we'd used condoms and she told me they weren't foolproof..." She cringed against him and he kissed her forehead.

"Tell me, babe..."

"She told me that was the reason they got pregnant with me..." She started to cry again, "She basically just told me I was a mistake, JoJo... that they didn't want me."

"Shhh..." he whispered. They sat for several minutes, Joey comforting Lauren as she tried to deal with the pain of what her mum had told her. Finally she was calmer, "I don't think she's told you it accurately, Lo..." he said softly, "I remember that your mum and dad got married when I was about two, I think..." He smiled, "One of my first memories of your mum was her and my mum talking in the kitchen while I played with my trains. I didn't understand what they were talking about until I was a lot older... but I think it was not long after they'd got married and your mum told mine that her and your dad were trying for a baby. That they had been ever since they'd got married." He lifted Lauren's chin and looked into her eyes. "Your mum was upset... I remember her crying because it was the first time I'd seen a grown-up cry and it scared me... I think each month she wasn't getting pregnant was hurting her. I don't remember what my mum said but I do remember that at my 3rd birthday party, your dad announced that they were having a baby and both your parents looked so happy."

"You remember that?" she whispered.

He smirked at her, "Yeah... everyone got really excited by their news and it took the attention away from me. I didn't like it... it was MY birthday!"

"And you say I'm a drama queen?" she teased him.

"I was determined to hate you... everyone was far too excited about this new baby being born and I couldn't stand it." He kissed her forehead softly, locked in his memories, "Then you came along and the first time I saw you, I knew I couldn't hate you... you were adorable. I helped your mum a lot when you were born. She was looking after me while my mum was at work so I was there a lot of the time." Lauren frowned at him but said nothing, "Did you know you threw up all over me? I was holding you while dad took some photos of us. You remember how he always used to take loads of pictures when we were growing up? Well he'd taken a couple and was about to take some more and then you vomited all over me... all over my spiderman T-shirt might I add. I wasn't impressed, let me tell you."

"Why have you never told me this before?"

"I didn't think about it until now."

"Do you remember anything else?" She watched his face and saw his cheeks redden, "What?"

"I may have given you your first haircut..." he told her softly.

"WHAT?" she gasped.

"I was making a card for my mum for her birthday and you were sleeping in your crib. Your mum was asleep too and I didn't want to wake her so I went into the kitchen and found a pair of scissors. I wanted to cut some stars out of coloured paper so I could stick them on the card after I put glitter on them." Lauren smiled at him, "I walked back into the lounge and I walked past where you were lying. I stood and looked at you for a couple of minutes and..."

"JoJo..." she whispered.

"There was this strand of hair... I guess you must've been just over six months old because I'd had my birthday and it was nearly mum's... your hair had grown a lot and it was really dark and lots of curls... but there was this bit that always hung in your face... always. Your mum was forever trying to get it to stop hanging in your eyes but it never did... so I may have cut it off..." he whispered the last part to her.

"You cut my hair so that it didn't hang in my eyes anymore?" she asked. He nodded. "You are an idiot sometimes, Joey." She said with a smile. "It's just as well I love you..."

He stuck his tongue out at her teasing, "Your mum was furious... she woke up just after I'd done it and she slapped my ass so hard I couldn't sit down. Then mum did the same as well when she came to pick me up."

"Why would my mum say I was a mistake then?" she asked him softly.

"I don't know, baby." He hugged her a bit tighter against him, knowing that her mum's words had hurt her a great deal.

"Can we stay up here for a while?" she whispered.

"Of course we can." Lauren moved off his lap and lay on her bed, Joey moving so he was lying behind her, his arms wrapping automatically around her waist. "Is that what you want then?"

"What do you mean?"

"To go on the pill?" he asked her gently.

"I hadn't really thought about it to be honest." She admitted.

"Maybe you should speak to the doctor about it first... find out what the options are." He said, kissing the back of her head softly. "Would you like me to come with you?" he asked.

"I'd love you to be there but I can't see mum letting you... and people might wonder why you're going to the doctors with me." She turned her head and looked at his face, "Keeping us quiet is going to be tough..."

"I know but I can understand why they want us to."

"You can?"

"Yeah, you've got your exams later this year and both our dad's think that some people will have a problem with us being together. They're just trying to protect you from their scrutiny." Lauren rolled over to face Joey, pressing her face against his neck. "I know you hate lying to people, baby but it's not for long... and our parents know now so it will be easier for us to get some time alone, I promise."

"You think they'll let us?"

"I can't see why not." He rolled her onto her back and kissed her deeply, "Now I believe I owe you from earlier..." he breathed against her lips.

"Joey, our parents are downstairs..." she reminded him.

"I know that... but it's not like they don't know now... you said I owed you..." He brushed his hand up her thigh and slid it under her skirt. His hand rested on her knickers, the heat of it affecting Lauren as much as the touch itself. "Maybe these should come off..." he whispered in her ear. Lauren moaned and closed her eyes. Joey pushed himself upright and pushed her skirt up to her waist, hearing the slight gasp from her. He tugged her knickers down her legs and dropped them on the floor, moving so he was lying back beside her. "Much better..." he told her softly. Again he ran his hand up her leg, brushing her skin softly before returning to her core. He watched her face as he pushed two fingers into her. She was tense and he knew it was because their parents were only downstairs. "Relax..."

"It's difficult when I know they could hear us..."

"Does it really matter if they do?"

"It would be mortifying..." she hissed at him.

He arched an eyebrow, "Really?" he asked. "Then I guess you'll just have to be quiet, won't you..." He smiled at her, knowing that was practically impossible for her. If there was one thing he knew, Lauren was very vocal when it came to their lovemaking... She scowled at him and was still very tense, until he pressed his thumb hard against her clit and she literally flew off the bed, his name slipping from her lips – loudly. He smirked at her now.

"I hate you sometimes..." she whispered to him.

"I can't help it if you're loud, babe..." he replied. His fingers started moving within her and he kissed her, the moan she breathed out being swallowed by his mouth. His own arousal was climbing but this was about Lauren... he knew that. Of course it didn't stop him from pressing his groin against her hip, her hand clasping the back of his neck as she felt his hard length against her hip bone. She was getting closer, Joey could tell so he was surprised when she pushed him away from her. He maintained the motion of his fingers in and out of her body as she sat up and pulled her baggy jumper over her head. He was close to coming in his boxers when he saw she wasn't wearing a bra. How had he not noticed that before? She lay back down and stared at his face, seeing his eyes darken as he watched her. His fingers had slowed once she'd pulled off her top and she could feel her peak ebbing away again... which was the last thing she wanted. "I thought you didn't want to be found out?" he asked her softly.

"If we're going to do this... I want to enjoy it..." she told him.

"You will always enjoy it when it's you and me, Lo..." he said, his eyes darkening further.

"I'd enjoy it more if you made me come..." she whispered.

"I will..."

"Joe, we don't have long... dinner will be ready soon and I want to be able to make myself presentable again before we go downstairs."

"So I should speed this up then?"

She smiled at him, her hand caressing the side of his face. She brushed her fingers through his hair, gently pulling his face down to her chest. Not that he put up much of a fight. His mouth worked it's magic on her, like it always did and it was only five minutes before her back was arching off the bed as her thighs clamped on his forearm and wrist. His thumb pressed down hard on her clit and she yelped his name, her face already buried into the crook of his neck in an effort to muffle it. He lifted his head, watching her features as his fingers eked out her orgasm for as long as they could. She lay sated on the bed and he pulled his hand from between her legs, lifting it to his mouth and licking them clean as she watched through hooded eyes. "I need to go and get cleaned up a bit..." she whispered.

"Do you want a hand?" he asked.

She nodded, climbing slowly off the bed and slipping the jumper back over her head. She pulled some fresh underwear out of her chest of drawers and then turned to her boyfriend. She held her hand out towards him and then they walked out of the room and into the bathroom. Lauren gave herself a quick freshen up and then put on her bra and knickers, Joey watching as he stood, leaning against the wall. She glanced at him, her eyes drifting down his body and seeing the telltale bulge within his jeans, "Don't you think you should be dealing with that?" she asked him.

"I'd rather you did..." he told her gently.

Lauren smirked at him and sauntered over to where he stood. Her hands made quick work of unfastening his jeans and then shoving both them and his boxers down to his knees. His cock was hard and when she wrapped her hand around it she heard Joey sigh with relief. She started slow, determined to make this good for him, even if they were in a bit of a rush. She stood beside him, his arm hanging loosely over her shoulders, his head tilted back as he breathed deeply. He always reacted as if he enjoyed it when she did this for him and today was no different. She twisted her hand on him as she continued to stroke him and he moaned in the back of his throat... a beautiful sound she didn't hear as often as she'd like. His length seemed to increase in size as she sped up the movement of her hand, judging that he was very close now. His hips shifted a couple of times and she could see his right fist was clenched by his side. "Are you nearly there, JoJo?" she whispered and he moaned again, making her smile.

Joey turned his head towards her and opened his eyes as he felt her hand slow down again. "Why are you stopping?" he asked, worry in his voice.

"I'm not..." she said, avoiding looking at his face. "Relax... Close your eyes," She told him and he couldn't help wondering if this was some kind of payback for when he'd teased her earlier. Nevertheless he did as she asked. She moved away from him, his arm falling to his side and he was dying to look and see what she was up to but something held him back. Her hand left him and he was going to say something but her other hand replaced it within seconds. He sighed in relief when she started stroking him again, she was moving faster again now and he knew it wouldn't be long until he was coming. Then her other hand was on him and it was his turn to moan loudly as he felt her cup his balls. He wanted to touch her but he got the feeling she was out of his reach. It was only going to be a few more seconds...

He gasped loudly as he felt her lips surround the head of his cock just as he was about to come and the feel of her mouth on the tip of his penis made his orgasm one of the strongest he'd ever experienced. He pried his eyes open, needing to look at her as his high began to fade and she was kneeling in front of him, her eyes locked on his face as her hand still gently stroked his length. She sat back on her heels and he slipped from her mouth and she released her hold on him. Joey dazedly pulled his clothes back into place before pulling her to her feet and crushing his mouth to hers in a kiss that took both their breaths away. "I can't believe you just did that, Lo..." he murmured into her ear as his body pressed hers into the wall.

"Didn't you like it? Did I do it wrong?" she asked hesitantly.

"Do you even have to ask, babe? I don't think I've come so hard in my life..." he kissed her neck softly. "We'd better get downstairs before someone comes to find us." He pulled away from her. "I wish I had time to do what I wanted with you now..."

"What's that?" she asked in a whisper.

"If I had my way, I'd be buried deep inside you now as we stood against this wall..." he breathed in her ear and she shivered against him.

"Maybe later?" she said with a soft smile. Joey grinned at her widely before pulling her from the room and dragging her downstairs.

TBC

**A/N: So did the parents thoughts about their relationship surprise you? Turns out they'd been expecting it FOREVER! And what did you think of the 1st version of the hair tuck from a 4-year old Joey? Let me know what you thought...**

**Okay, I guess I should give you a warning for tomorrow (and all future chapters)... the drama is about to start and you're going to need the Kleenex... Just saying...**

**Tomorrow's chapter will feature the guest artist... One Direction... which one have I chosen? Hopefully I won't have been as predictable this time... but then again...**


	15. Chapter 15: Little Things

**There was mixed results on the chapter title guesses - I hope you think the one I chose fits the chapter... Congratulations to: disarranging, Samira Rahman, popscb, chloem93, armanii96, loveonedirection and one unnamed guest reviewer.  
**

****TISSUE WARNING** So a long chapter tonight... although you are probably going to need tissues... if it makes you feel better now - there's no cliffhanger! (a small comfort I hope).**

**Chapter 15: Little Things.**

It had been three weeks since Lauren and Joey had told their parents about their relationship. Christmas and New Year were rapidly becoming dim and distant memories and the weather had turned harsh, every day filled with snow, hail, rain or a combination of all three. When Lauren woke up that morning... feeling like shit, she knew the day wasn't going to go the way it was supposed to. She actually had a class free day today; no lessons at all so when Joey didn't have college either they'd decided they were going to spend the day together, doing coupley things... if you get my drift. One minute since waking up Lauren already knew there was no way she would be doing anything they'd planned. She dragged herself out of her bed and into the bathroom. There wasn't one bit of her that didn't ache in some form or another. Unfortunately this wasn't a new experience for her but she hated when she felt like this. It was the first time since being with Joey that she'd had one of these days... you know the one's where you just want to go back to sleep and hope it's the next day when you open your eyes again. She winced as she heard her mum scream her name up the stairs and a couple of minutes later she trudged down to the kitchen, one of Joey's hoodies wrapped tightly around her body, the hood up to complete her look. Her mum took one look at her and silently got her a glass of water and two paracetamol, a look of concern on her face as she saw how pale her daughter was. Lauren took the painkillers quickly and sat at the table, her mum putting some toast in front of her. She started to eat one slice slowly and looked at the time. Joey was supposed to be coming over in an hour and she was very tempted to text him and tell him not to bother because she was going to be no company today. She hadn't got much further than halfway through the slice of toast before she was running for the sink, throwing everything up again as her mum held back her hair. Well that was just fucking great.

*JL*JL*

Fifteen minutes later saw Lauren lay weakly on the couch, a duvet laid over her body as she tried to focus on whatever was on the TV and not the pain that was gripping her body. Her mum walked into the lounge and asked her if she wanted anything before she left for work. Lauren shook her head and her mum walked over and kissed her softly on the forehead before leaving the room and house. Lauren closed her eyes and was soon asleep.

*JL*JL*

She was aware Joey was there before she opened her eyes and when she did she saw the look of concern on his face, "You okay, Lo?" She shook her head. "What's wrong?" She turned and buried her head in the pillow, wishing the ground (or back of the sofa – whichever was easier and quicker) would open up and swallow her now. "Baby...?" he whispered and she heard him shift slightly, his fingers brushing through her hair.

"We can't have sex today, Joe..." she told him.

"Last thing on my mind right now, baby. I'm more concerned about you at the moment, LoLo..." he told her gently.

"I'm..." She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, "I've got my period..."

"Is that all it is?" She looked at him in shock, surprised he would be so dismissive when she was actually suffering. He must've seen the look on her face, "I didn't mean it like that... I was just imagining much worse..." He leant forward and kissed her mouth softly.

"I feel like shit, JoJo..." she whimpered.

"You haven't been like this before..."

"Not since we got together, no. Most months I'm okay... but every now and again the cramps are really bad and I have to spend the day sleeping and taking painkillers and feeling really sick. Those are normally days you won't see me. This is the first time since we've been together that it's been this bad. I think it might be because of the pill... this is my first period since I started taking it and the doctor did say my periods could be affected. She wasn't wrong." Joey looked guilty as a result of what she'd just told him which in turn made her feel bad. It wasn't why she had told him, she just wanted him to understand.

"Is there anything I can do?" he asked her gently.

She sighed, "No... You might as well go home, Joey. I'm not going to be any sort of company today and there's a danger I might actually snap your head off or say something I regret." He frowned at her but after kissing her forehead gently he got to his feet and she soon heard the front door open and shut again. She missed him already but it was too late now, she'd sent him away.

*JL*JL*

Lauren was watching TV when she heard the front door open again, a cold gust of wind blowing into the room, making her pull the duvet a little closer to her chin. Her focus was on the TV so his voice startled her a few minutes later, "I thought you might like this..." he said and she looked at him, blinking her eyes as she stared at his face. Hadn't he left already?

"I thought you went, JoJo?" she whispered.

"I went to get supplies..." he said with a small shy smile... something that looked foreign on his face. "Here..." For the first time she looked at his hand and what he was holding made her smile. She took the hot water bottle from him and put the heat against her stomach, sighing as it warmed through her and eased the ache slightly. "I spoke to my mum and she suggested a few things that might help you feel a bit better..." he said softly.

"You told your mum?" she asked, aghast at his admission.

"You think she didn't already know? Our mums apparently tell each other everything, babe." He said with a smile.

"What other things did she suggest?" She asked softly, forgiving him instantly.

"She said I should look after you and take care of you. That we should spend the day watching soppy DVD's because I know you like those..."

"But you hate them..." she interrupted.

"Not as much as I love you..." he whispered, his eyes falling to the duvet rather than look at her face. He turned away from her and opened a rucksack he had with him, pulling out a pile of DVD's. "I brought a selection of movies from my house. Mum said you'd probably like them."

"Did she suggest anything else?"

"Yeah..." He got to his feet and walked out of the room, "I'll be back in a minute," he called back to her.

Lauren curled up into a ball and looked at the stack of DVD's, her eyes running over the titles on the spines. There were a few there that she wouldn't mind watching... although she knew Joey would hate them. He appeared back in the room and passed her a mug. It was a hot chocolate... that had been Joey-fied (marshmallows and squirty cream on the top of it). She smiled at him, "Thanks..." she whispered, feeling better than she had all morning.

"You're welcome, baby. I'm going to pamper you all day," He said. He sat on the edge of the couch, "What movie do you want to watch?"

"I don't mind... you choose..." she said vaguely.

"Lo..." She looked at him, "Choose a film. I really don't mind what we watch. I just want to look after you and spend time with you... if I have to watch a film that's gonna make you cry to do that, that's what I'll do." He rested his hand on her knee, squeezing it slightly. "I'll even let you cry on my shoulder and pass you tissues if that will help." He told her gently.

"I do love you, you know that, right?" she whispered.

"I know." He said simply, "Now pick a movie."

She reached over and picked a DVD that was three or four from the top of the pile and passed it to him. He didn't say anything, even though she knew he was going to HATE this film. Once the disc was in the machine and he'd grabbed the remote, he walked back over to the couch. Lauren pushed herself up so she was sitting and when he went to sit near her feet she shook her head and patted the couch next to her. He smiled at her and pulled her onto his lap... which, it turns out, was exactly where Lauren wanted to be and started the movie. Lauren started crying about an hour into the film and didn't really stop from that point onwards and just like he'd said he let her cry on his shoulder and passed her tissues at the appropriate times. It was a sad film and her period was making even more emotional so she was a state but Joey said nothing, kissing her gently on the forehead and brushing his hand up and down her back, occasionally running his fingers through her hair.

*JL*JL*

By the end of the first movie the hot water bottle Joey had fixed for her was no longer offering any real comfort so Joey went to redo it for her. She shook her head when he asked if she wanted another hot chocolate or something to eat. She was actually feeling a little sick again. While he was in the kitchen, she dragged herself from the couch and walked over to the window, pulling the curtains shut and then turning on a lamp so the room was dimly lit. She winced as she made her way out of the room and up to the bathroom, her arms clutching her stomach as she moved.

She felt no better when she made the descent back down the stairs a few minutes later and she found Joey waiting for her in the doorway, "You okay?" he asked her softly. She shook her head, tears flooding her eyes for no apparent reason. He pulled her against him and hugged her tightly, trying not to worry when she broke down in tears. "Talk to me, baby..." he said gently after five minutes.

"It hurts, JoJo..." she whispered.

"Let me go and get you some more painkillers?" he told her but she wrapped her arms around his waist tightly, refusing to let go. "Come on then." He said, taking her with him into the kitchen. He got a glass of water for her and took two more paracetamol out of the packet. "When did you last take these?"

"When I got up... about eight o'clock I guess." She whispered.

Joey glanced at the time, "It's a little early for the next ones... but you're in a lot of pain..." He passed the tablets to her and she took them quickly. "Are you sure you don't want anything to eat?"

"I couldn't even if I wanted to, Joe..." she whispered. "I feel sick... I'll just be sick if I eat something. I've already thrown up my breakfast. You can have something though."

"I'll get something later." He said. He took her hand in his and led her back to the lounge, "Maybe you should try to get some sleep."

"Will you stay with me?" she whispered.

"I'm going nowhere..." he said, smiling at her.

She picked up the (once again hot) hot water bottle he'd filled earlier and placed it back on her still aching stomach. She lay back down on the couch and closed her eyes. However five minutes later she still couldn't get comfortable and she opened her eyes, finding Joey sitting on an armchair reading the paper. "JoJo..." she whispered. He looked at her and she had to bite her lip to stop herself from crying. She felt so pathetic but this was most definitely the worst she'd ever felt, it was the usual pain amplified by about a thousand.

"What's wrong, Lo?" he asked, discarding the paper and moving so he was crouching in front of her. His gentle loving question was the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back and the floodgates opened, huge tears meandering down her cheeks as she dissolved before him. He quickly pulled her into his arms. He let her cry for a few minutes but then as her sobbing gradually faded he knew he needed to get her to open up to him, "Talk to me, baby..."

"I feel so rubbish..." she whispered. "I'm exhausted but I can't get comfortable enough to sleep. The cramps are so bad, JoJo... It's never been as bad as this before..."

"Do you think we should go to the doctor?" he asked her, brushing the hair back from her face and tucking it behind her ear. She shook her head quickly. "What can I do, Lo? I hate seeing you like this..."

"Can you hold me in your arms?" she whispered.

"Of course I can..." he told her with a smile. "Budge up..." After some shifting around, they ended up lying on the couch together, Joey lying on his back with Lauren tucked under his left arm as she leant against his body. The hot water bottle was wedged between their bodies, pressing against Lauren's stomach. The duvet was draped over them up to Lauren's waist. Joey was overheating slightly but for the first time since Lauren had woken up the warmth she was feeling was significantly soothing the pain. The dull thud of Joey's heart in his chest eventually lulled her to sleep, Joey watching her in concern, his fingers running through her hair much like he had done when she had concussion at the age of six.

*JL*JL*

Max and Tanya walked into the house later that evening with their youngest two children. The house was silent and Tanya ushered both children towards the kitchen so she could start sorting out tea for them all while Max went to check on Lauren. He was surprised to find both Joey and Lauren asleep on the couch. Lauren was caged in Joey's arms, her back against his chest. His hand was under her pyjama top, splayed across her stomach. It was clear to Max that Lauren had been crying at some stage during the day, her face was puffy and there was strain around her eyes even as she slept. Max looked at the carnage on the floor and saw a discarded hot water bottle, an empty tub of ice-cream with a spoon sitting in it, a glass of water and a half-used packet of paracetamol, finished off with a knocked over pile of DVD's. He walked over to the couch and gently shook Joey's shoulder. He woke up and stared up at his uncle. "This isn't how it looks..." he said in a whisper.

"I know... Tan told me she wasn't well when she got up this morning. How's she been?"

"In a lot of pain..." Joey said. He yawned, "It's been a long day." He added, wiping his hand over his face.

"Why don't you take her upstairs...? I think she'll be out for the count for the rest of the night... she usually is when she's like this."

"I don't suppose..." his words faded and he looked up at his uncle.

"You want to stay, don't you?" he asked. He'd known this the moment he woke his nephew; actually it was as soon as he saw the two of them asleep together.

"If I could... I think it'll be easier for everyone if I do... she was pretty much screaming in pain about two hours ago, Uncle Max. I've never seen her like that before... I've wanted to call the doctor so many times today but she wouldn't let me."

"This is what you're letting yourself in for, Joey..." Max said with a smile.

"I know... and I'm fine with that. I'm glad I found out about this today. I want to be there for her when she feels like shit."

Max stared at his nephew in silence for a few seconds. He nodded his head once, "Take her upstairs... I'll speak to your mum and dad and tell them you're staying here. I'm trusting you, Joey, don't make a fool of me."

"I won't, Uncle Max. I promise."

"Okay..." Max said. "I'll clear up this mess and Tan will bring up some painkillers for her and fresh water for you both. Do you want any dinner?"

"I see how Lo feels when she wakes up..." Joey said as he climbed off the couch, trying not to disturb Lauren at the same time. She whimpered slightly as his hand moved off her belly and her face screwed up as if she was in pain. Max quirked his eyebrow at his nephew, who smiled at him, "Apparently I give off a lot of body heat. Lauren's exact words were that I'm like a life size hot water bottle and putting my hand on her stomach reduces the pain," he told him, his face flushing at the admission. Max chuckled at seeing his nephew's discomfort. "She also said she wished she'd known this a long time ago – she might have started dating me much earlier." He added, smiling tenderly at his sleeping girlfriend.

"JoJo..." Lauren whimpered and Joey moved to her, picking her easily up off the couch.

"I'm here, baby... Let's go up to your room, eh?" he murmured to her as she curled into his body.

"Don't leave me..." she whispered, already falling back to sleep.

"Okay, Lo..." he said but she was out of it.

*JL*JL*

Lauren woke up and it was dark in the room. She couldn't work out where she was at first. She quickly realised she was in her bed. Glancing at the time she saw it was half seven. The arm around her waist tightened slightly and it was this slight movement that brought to her attention that Joey was with her... in her bed. So her parents knew. She frowned. How had this all happened without her knowing?

"How are you feeling, Lo?" he asked, his voice sounding all kinds of sexy.

"Better than before..." she whispered.

"Do you want to try and eat something? Your mum said she could make us some soup if you were up to it when you woke up."

"I am a little hungry," she admitted. She'd only had about two thirds of a tub of mint choc chip ice cream (the other third eaten by Joey – at her insistence).

"Let's go downstairs then..." he said. He slowly moved his hand from her stomach and she winced slightly at the absence of warmth but didn't complain otherwise. He climbed over her to get out of the bed and helped her to her feet (although she was perfectly capable of doing it herself, he wanted to help her in any way he could). "Do you want the bathroom before we go down?" he asked and she nodded her head. He waited for her at the top of the stairs and when she silently reappeared he took her hand and they walked down to the lounge. Oscar and her parents were sat on the couch.

"Hi sweetheart, are you feeling better?" her mum asked.

"A little bit. Where's Abs?"

"She's having a sleepover with Alice tonight, so she's round at Joey's." Max said with a smile. "She was very excited..." He turned to his son, "Come on, little man... time for your bath, I think." He said. He stood up and lifted a giggling Oscar up in the air. "Say night night to your mummy, Lo and Joey." Max instructed. "I'll be back down in a while, babe." He said to his wife before disappearing up the stairs.

"Do you want anything to eat, darling?" Tanya asked her daughter.

"Please..."

"I've got some vegetable soup... do you think you can stomach that?" She got to her feet and walked over to stand in front of Lauren. Her hands came up and she placed one on Lauren's forehead while the other brushed the side of her face, "You're still very hot, darling. Is it bad still?" Lauren nodded, unable to stop the tears from forming in her eyes. Tanya hugged her, brushing her hands over her back, "You should've called me if it was that bad, sweetheart. I would've come home and looked after you."

"JoJo was looking after me, mum. It was fine."

"I think we need to check with the doctor though, darling. You shouldn't be in as much pain as this."

"I'll be fine in the morning, mum."

"Well if not, I'm booking an appointment." She said firmly. Lauren looked at Joey and he smiled at her softly, squeezing her hand; things that weren't missed by her mother. "Maybe Joey can take you to the doctors, rather than me going with you. You're old enough to do these things without me being there now..." she said softly, although it felt far from the truth at the moment. She was growing increasingly worried about her daughter. "Oh there's a bag for you in the hallway, Joey," Tanya said, "Your dad brought it over earlier when he came over to get Abi."

"Thanks Auntie Tanya..." His aunt left the room then and Joey looked at Lauren, seeing the confusion on her face, "I'm staying here tonight, LoLo..." he explained softly.

"You are?"

"Yeah, your mum and dad said I could. We're all worried about you, baby." He pulled her against his chest and she buried her face in his neck, kissing his skin tenderly.

"I'm sorry for being such a drama queen today, JoJo... I bet you're wondering what the hell you've taken on, aren't you? I wouldn't blame you if you were..."

His hand caressed her face, cupping her cheek, "Hey... I'm glad I found out about this today. You don't have to do this on your own, baby girl. I want to be the person you turn to when you feel like crap. This is it, Lo... we're together now for the good and the bad bits. I know now what you need when you're like this so next time you don't need to hide away from me, I want you to call me – any time, night or day – and I'll be here, like a shot."

"You are an amazing guy, Joseph Branning. Has anyone ever told you that?"

"They're queuing at my door, babe... waiting to tell me. Why do you think I'm here?" he told her with a smirk, his eyes darkening when she growled in the back of her throat. "Seriously, I love you, Lo... I just want you to be better..."

"You being here has helped me feel much better." She stood in his arms for several minutes, absorbing some of the body heat he was exuding.

"Soup's ready, sweetheart," her mum said, carrying in two bowls of soup for them to eat. Joey led her over to the table and they sat side by side eating. Lauren ate slowly, still wary of how her stomach would react. A little while later Joey took their empty bowls into the kitchen and when he returned he lifted a giggling Lauren into his arms and he walked them over to the armchair and sat down, placing her on his lap. She curled into him again, smiling softly when his hand slipped under her pyjama top and rested on her stomach. His thumb stroked her skin softly and while the heat he was providing helped ease her pain it was the other sensations he was creating within her body that helped ease some of the tension from her body.

Her parents returned not long after they'd sat down but neither commented about how Joey and Lauren were sat. Everything was fine for a while but Joey gradually began to notice the tension returning to Lauren's body. He glanced down at her face and saw tears streaming down her face. "LoLo?" he whispered to her.

"It hurts so badly..." she whispered. She winced as another spasm of pain pulsed through her body.

Max and Tanya were watching them, both looking concerned as they saw their daughter in such pain. "I think we should take you to the hospital, babe," Max said gently.

Lauren shook her head back and forth, "No... All they're going to say is its period pains..."

"Sweetheart... this is not just period pains," her mum said. She got to her feet and picked up her mobile, "Hi... Would it be possible for you to look after Oscar?" she said once the person answered her call, "Yes, we're taking Lauren to A&E..."

"Mum... no," Lauren protested. She glanced at Joey, trying to get his support. She was shocked by what she saw.

"Baby... please..." he whispered and she could see fear in his eyes. It was something she never wanted to see again and it was because of this she agreed to what her parents were saying.

There was a knock on the door and Tanya rushed to it. Derek walked into the room, seeing his son and niece. Lauren had her face buried in Joey's neck and was crying much harder than she had been earlier. Joey looked at his dad and everyone could see the anguish on his face. "Come on then, Lauren..." Derek said, walking over to his son and taking Lauren from him. "Joe, help me take Lauren out to the car. Max can give you the keys so you can open the door, okay?" Joey nodded and Max passed him the car keys when he stood up. "I'll be back inside in a minute or two..." Derek said to his brother. "You two sort out what you need and then I'll come back in so I can keep an eye on little Oscar while you go to the hospital." Derek and Joey left the house with Lauren and soon she was lying in the back of Max's car. "You okay, Joey?" Derek asked his son gently. Joey just had to look at him and he knew the answer, "Come here, son..." he said, pulling his son into a hug, "She'll be okay... She's got you looking after her, right?" There was the sound of intense crying from inside the car and Joey pulled away from his dad quickly, clambering into the car and taking Lauren into his arms.

*JL*JL*

Joey sat in the waiting room with his aunt and uncle, trying to remain calm. Lauren had started screaming again, frightening her parents a great deal not long after leaving the square. The pain was still making her scream as they pulled up to the hospital and she had immediately been taken through to be examined. That was two hours ago and the longer they sat there, the harder it was getting for Joey to stay calm.

The door to the room opened and a doctor came in and shut the door again. "Mr and Mrs Branning?" Max got to his feet and shook the doctor's hand. "And this is?"

"Joey, Lauren's boyfriend..."

"Okay... well we've examined Lauren and are concerned about the level of pain she's in. She's unable to answer the questions I need answers to, so I'm hoping you might be able to help." He was looking at Joey intensely as he spoke.

"We can try to answer them." Tanya said.

"Now Lauren told us this was period pains when she first got here. Has she always suffered with bad pains?" he asked, turning his attention to Tanya.

"Most months she's fine... and then every few months the pains will be intense and she literally can't do anything until the pain has gone again." Tanya said. "Today is so much worse than normal though."

"How often would you say this happens?" he asked.

"Two or three times a year maybe... I don't think she's had pain like this since the summer though... it was just before we went on holiday, wasn't it, Max?" she asked her husband.

"Yeah... so early August."

"Would you say the frequency of the cramps occurring and the intensity of them has been the same until today or have they gradually got worse?"

"I don't know... Lauren tries to pass it off as she's okay and she doesn't like talking about it." Tanya said. "This has happened since she first started her periods when she was twelve though."

"Is Lauren sexually active?" he asked, glancing at Joey as he spoke.

"Yes..." all three of them answered.

"How long has she been?"

"Since September..." Joey said softly. His hands were clenched as he spoke about their relationship.

"And there is no chance she could be pregnant?"

"No... we've always used protection and she started taking the pill just before Christmas."

"We will do a test anyway, just to be sure but I don't think this is that. There is a slight chance it could be an ectopic pregnancy but at this stage I think it's unlikely." The doctor said and Joey blanched slightly at his words. Could it really be a possibility?

"So if you don't think it's that... what do you think it is?" Max asked.

"I..." The door to the room opened and a nurse stood there.

"Doctor, we need you..."

"I'm sorry, I'm going to have to go." He got to his feet and made his way to the door, "I'll come back when I have more news."

The door shut behind him and the three of them looked at each other, "Is it wrong that I wish she was pregnant?" Tanya said softly.

"Tan...?" Max gasped.

"No, I mean it... from his questions it sounds like that is the simple answer. If it isn't that then I'm scared what it might be..."

Max moved to her side and wrapped his arm around her shoulder, pulling her into a hug. Joey watched them for a few seconds but had to turn his head away as his own tears threatened. His aunt's words sank in and he was right there with her, scared of what might be wrong with the girl who was everything to him; his cousin, his best friend, the love of his life.

*JL*JL*

It was nearly three in the morning when the door opened again. It was the doctor and he had a serious expression on his face. He sat on the chairs opposite them, "We've done further tests on Lauren." he started, "The test confirmed she wasn't pregnant when we ran it but we did an ultrasound just to double check." He looked at her parents, "Lauren has a cyst in her ovary... it's going to require surgery." He checked his notes quickly, "Is there any history of ovarian cancer in your family?"

"Yes..." Tanya whispered, her eyes darting to Joey, "She doesn't know this but two summers ago I was diagnosed with the disease. The tumour was a borderline tumour and I didn't need any other treatment after the surgery." Joey was staring at his aunt in shock. He had had no idea and he knew Lauren didn't either. "What does that mean for Lauren?" Tanya whispered.

"The cyst is very large and because of your history I will have to get a biopsy performed on it once we've removed it."

"Will she lose the ovary?" Tanya asked.

"I don't know... I won't know the answer to that until I open her up." The doctor explained.

"Will she still be able to have children?" Joey whispered but nobody heard him as his aunt and uncle were talking to the doctor. He repeated the question but again it went unheard.

"Does anyone have any questions?" the doctor finally asked once they'd finished talking.

"Will she still be able to have children?" Joey said again.

"Yes, she will." He said, staring at the young man who looked devastated. "She's asking to see you before she goes down for the surgery, Joey."

"Is that okay?" he asked, glancing at her parents. They both nod at him, knowing their daughter needs him.

"I think it might help calm her a bit... with the pain and anxiety from what we've told her she's in quite a state." The doctor said. "The doctor will be coming down shortly to give her the anaesthetic. It would be good if you could stay with her until she's under," he added. Joey stood when the doctor did and followed him out of the room, barely aware of his surroundings. Just one thought was on his mind; seeing his LoLo.

*JL*JL*

"JoJo..." she cried as he walked into the room.

He was at her side as quickly as he could get there and he sat on the chair beside her bed, clasping her hand in one of his, "Hey baby..." he whispered softly, his left hand reaching for her hair and brushing it back from her face. He lifted her hand and pressed his lips against her fingers.

"Did the doctor tell you?" she whispered. He nodded, his eyes locked on hers. "I'm scared, JoJo..."

"I know, baby, but you're in the best place and soon it'll be over and you'll just need to recover."

Her face flushed, "He said it will be at least a month until we can have sex again..." she told him softly.

"You asked him?" he said, raising his eyebrows in surprise because that would've been the last thing he would expect her to ask.

The red stain to her cheeks darkened and it looked good to see colour on her face again, "No, he told me when he was explaining the surgery and getting me to sign the form..." she murmured.

"It's not important now, Lo... your health is the only thing that's important."

"You won't get bored waiting?" she breathed, fear on her face as she asked him the loaded question.

"Never..." he said with a smile. He moved closer to her, kissing her forehead tenderly, "I've waited for you for more than four years, baby... a few weeks is easy peasy." A tear ran down her face and he kissed it away. Several people walked in the room and began to get Lauren ready for her operation. Joey saw her bite her lip and felt her start to shake. "It's okay, LoLo... I'll be here when you get back, I promise." He told her, feeling his own emotions start to climb.

"Can't I just go home?" she asked, "I want to go home and for you to hold me in your arms and keep me safe..."

"You know that's not possible, Lo... you need to get this fixed before it gets any worse." One of the nurses cleared her throat and Joey glanced at her. The doctor put some drugs into the cannula in her hand and her eyes began to droop. He got to his feet, squeezing her hand in his.

"Don't leave me..." she whispered, fighting the drug.

"Can I walk down with her?" he asked the nurse and she nodded. Joey walked beside the bed, Lauren's hand in his and her eyes watching him. At the entrance to the operating theatre it was time for him to say goodbye though. He leant down and kissed her softly on the mouth, "I'll see you when you come back, baby. Be good for these doctors and nurses, okay. No more drama queen performances, I'm not sure my heart can take it." He whispered. Her mouth lifted at the corners and she moved her lips, silently telling him she loved him, "I love you too, baby girl." Another quick kiss and squeeze of her hand before he had to let go so the porters could take her into the theatre.

Joey stood motionless as the doors shut behind her. Why did it feel like part of him was missing? He couldn't help the emotions escaping as the last few hours finally became too much for him. The sight of his lovely LoLo in that hospital bed brought back too many bad memories of the last time she'd been in hospital and he wasn't completely reassured by what the doctor had said. He stood in the middle of the corridor and cried for several minutes as his thoughts lurched from one possibility to another. Once he'd calmed he looked around the corridor after a couple of minutes and saw a sign that made him smile. He moved quickly, hoping they'd be open seeing as it was now the early hours of the morning. He glanced at his watch and saw it was nearly seven in the morning. It was more than nine hours since they'd arrived at the hospital and he was exhausted, running on adrenaline now. He smiled as he saw the open doors and he went inside.

*JL*JL*

Joey pushed open the door to the waiting room, finding his aunt and uncle in the same place as when he'd left. They both smiled when they saw what he was holding in his arms and neither of them commented on the fact it was clear he'd been crying. He sat down in the chair he'd vacated, "They've taken her down for surgery. I walked down there with her," he said tiredly.

"She's still got the one you gave her when she had concussion, you know?" Tanya said softly, looking at the teddy bear he was clutching in his hands. His hands were the only thing that showed any tension at what was happening.

"Does she?" he asked, looking at them both.

"Yeah, I'm surprised you've never seen it. He sits on her desk, next to a school picture of the two of you. I can't remember what she called it now..." Max said.

"Fuzzy bear..." Joey whispered, smiling as he remembered her proclaiming his name when she came home from the hospital as if it was obvious.

"That's it... I think she carried that bear around for weeks after you gave it to her. Every night when we checked on her before we went to bed she would be hugging it tightly." Max said.

Tanya reached across her husband, "You've always held a special place in her heart, Joey..." she said as she squeezed his hand.

"I've always loved her." He said simply and neither of her parents could deny the truth in his words.

*JL*JL*

Lauren opened her eyes and was met by a sight that made her smile. Joey was sitting in the chair beside her bed. His arms were folded across his chest, his head was tilted to one side, his eyes shut and his mouth was slightly open. She knew he was asleep and the warm fuzzy feelings in her chest along with the faster beeping of the machine she was attached to was testament to the amount she loved him. None of this was what made her smile though. What it was that made her smile was the teddy bear Joey was holding against his body. She shifted on the bed slightly, trying to get a little more comfortable and turn towards him. Pain ricocheted through her body and she couldn't help the moan that broke the silence.

Joey's eyes shot open and he saw Lauren watching him, pain on her face, "Lo..." he whispered, a sudden lump forming in his throat. He moved the chair forward so he was closer to her.

"Hi..." she whispered. He reached for her face, pushing that strand of hair that was always present and tucking it behind her ear. Lauren pressed her cheek into the palm of his hand, closing her eyes as his thumb brushed her cheek.

"I've been sitting here with you for a couple of hours waiting for you to wake up."

"You were asleep, Joey..." she giggled.

"I've been awake all night, babe..." he murmured, looking down at the bed covers.

"Where are mum and dad?" she asked.

"I told them to go home once they brought you back here. They'll be back once they've sorted out your brother and sister for the day."

"Did the doctor say anything?" she asked.

He reached for her hand and squeezed it gently. "There were three cysts in total..." he told her, "The other two were smaller and hidden by the one they knew about."

"So they've removed them?" she whispered.

"They had to remove your ovary, LoLo..." he said, seeing the tears spring into her eyes.

"What..." she bit her lip, almost drawing blood, "Will we be able to have children?" she asked.

Joey smiled at her. This wasn't something they'd ever discussed but it was clearly something she'd been thinking about which made his heart race. "We will, baby... I asked the doctor when he was speaking to us... before I saw you."

"Oh, thank god..." she whispered. Tears ran down her face as the relief ebbed through her. He kissed her on the mouth, feeling her lips moving against his. The door to the room opened and they pulled apart, seeing a nurse who came in and adjusted the drip attached to Lauren, giving her another dose of morphine to numb the pain she was starting to feel. "So are you going to introduce me to your friend?" she asked him, smirking at his cheeks reddened.

"Well, as he's yours, I guess it's only right you should name him..." he said, passing her the bear.

"He's lovely, JoJo... thank you." She tucked the bear under her left arm, hugging him tightly.

"So...?"

"I need to wait for inspiration..." she admitted.

"So not Fuzzy Bear this time...?" he asked. She shook her head, "Your dad said you still have him..." It was Lauren's turn to blush at his words. "It means so much to me, babe... to know that you still have him..."

"He meant a lot to me when you gave him to me... and it was a present from you, so I could never get rid of him." She whispered. She yawned.

"Why don't you get some more sleep, Lo?" he asked her softly. She nodded her head and shut her eyes, squeezing the as yet unnamed teddy tighter against her. Joey held her hand, his thumb brushing across the back of it softly, feeling her grip on him start to slacken just a couple of minutes later.

*JL*JL*

The next time Lauren opened her eyes her mum and dad were sitting next to her bed, "Where's JoJo?" she whispered.

"Uncle Derek came back with us and he's taken Joey for some breakfast. He was practically dead on his feet, babe." Her dad said.

"Sweetheart, there's something we need to tell you..." Her mum said.

Lauren watched as her dad reached for her mum's hand and her heart picked up. Were they splitting up again? She wished Joey was here... she needed Joey. She glanced towards the door, hoping to see him about to walk in. He wasn't there. "Can we wait for Joe to get back?" she whispered.

"We need to tell you now, darling." Her dad said, "We should've told you before now really."

"Lauren, two years ago... I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. They removed the tumour and found out that no further treatment was necessary..." Her mum said softly, watching Lauren's face carefully.

"Why are you telling me this now?"

Her parents shared a look, "Babe, the doctors are going to do a biopsy of the cysts they removed from you." Her dad said.

"I could have cancer..." she breathed, inhaling sharply as the impact hit her. She felt weird. There were little flashes of light and her head was feeling a bit spacey.

"Breathe, darling..." her mum said, clasping her hand.

"Need Joey..." she gasped. Her dad pulled his mobile out of his jacket and made the call. Just two minutes later Joey ran through the door and was at her side.

"We told her..." His aunt told him.

"You knew?" Lauren gasped. It was just lie after lie...

Joey knelt beside the bed, "I found out when your mum told the doctor last night..." he told her, running his fingers through her hair as he stared into her eyes. "Breathe LoLo... breathe with me... in... and out..." Lauren stared at him and copied him as he breathed slowly until she was calm. She glanced at her parents and her eyes filled with tears. "Everyone out..." Joey said firmly, staring at his aunt and uncle when they didn't move. After a slight pause they moved out of the room. "I'm sorry, Lo... I thought they would tell you when I was here..."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Your mum wanted to tell you and she made me promise to let her tell you."

"She should've told me two years ago, JoJo... why do they always lie? I hate the lies..." More tears fell down her cheeks at her words.

"I know, Lo..." He moved closer to her and slipped his arm around her shoulders, Lauren lifting her head so he could. He kissed her tenderly. "Tell me if I hurt you at all, okay?" he breathed against her lips.

"I don't think you could ever hurt me, JoJo." She said with a smile, "You're the only person I can rely on." She shifted closer to him and let him hug her, burying her face in his neck, "So... I might have cancer..." she whispered.

Joey closed his eyes and took a deep breath, "There's a small chance, babe... but I asked the doctor and he said it's very small. The tests are more of a precaution because of what your mum had." He kissed her forehead, "But if you do... I will be here for you every step of the way. You know that... when have I ever not been there for you, LoLo?"

"You're right..." she whispered, "My JoJo is always there for me..." she murmured, her voice fading fast.

"I like the sound of that, babe..."

"Hmm?"

"Your JoJo..." he said. He looked at her face and smiled when he saw she was asleep again. "I will always be yours, Lauren Branning... I always have been – pretty much since the day you were born." He kissed her softly on the mouth then stayed watching her as she slept.

TBC

**A/N: So I hope you don't hate me... I have to admit this chapter just spiraled a little out of control but in the end it adds to the story.**

**Next chapter's guest artist will be... Bon Jovi... Can you guess the song? I have faith in my Twitter girlies to work it out if they look at a list of Bon Jovi songs because they know me and the title will leap out at them! :-) GOOD LUCK!**


	16. Chapter 16: In These Arms

**I hope you're still sticking with me on this story... I know the last chapter was difficult to read... I hope this chapter alleviates some of your concerns... **

**Well, apparently I'm not as predictable as I thought... only one correct guess for the chapter title (Well done disarranging)... better luck next time, guys!  
**

**Chapter 16: In These Arms.**

Joey left the car lot having spoken to his uncle. He was a man with a plan. And he'd just been given the green light by his uncle.

"You're looking pretty pleased with yourself, Joseph?" His dad said as Joey walked back into the house.

"Actually I need your help with something, dad." Joey said.

"What do you need me to do?" His dad asked with a slight smile.

*JL*JL*

Joey walked up to the door of 5 Albert Square and rang the doorbell. The door opened and his uncle stood in the doorway, "Come in, Joey." He said, smiling at his nephew.

Lauren ran downstairs and threw herself at him. "Hi LoLo..." he breathed in her ear, very conscious of the fact her legs were wrapped around his waist and it had been a long time since they had been intimate... a very very long time. She slid down his body until her feet were on the floor and from the look in her eyes, Joey was pretty sure she was doing this on purpose. "Sorry I couldn't come over last night, I wanted to get an essay done so I don't have to do it this weekend." She tugged on his hand and dragged him into the lounge, both of them sitting on the sofa, Lauren on Joey's lap, still creating havoc with his body.

"Do you have plans?" she asked.

"I don't... we do..." he said with a smile.

"We do?" she asked. He nodded. "Tell me..."

"I can't... it's a surprise." Joey admitted, kissing her softly. She pouted so temptingly that Joey nearly relented and told her. "All you need to know is you need to pack a bag for two nights away and be ready at ten tomorrow morning."

"Two nights away?" He nodded, "And my mum and dad are okay with that?"

"Yes, I checked with your dad earlier this week." Lauren hugged him again, her face resting on his chest. "How did the hospital appointment go?" he murmured.

"The consultant was pleased with how I've healed and I just have to go back in six months for another ultrasound and an MRI scan to make sure there's no sign of any more cysts." Lauren's biopsy results had arrived ten days after her impromptu stay at the hospital and there was fortunately no sign of cancer. That was twenty four days ago now and she had had a check-up yesterday to make sure everything had healed well and to discuss what was next.

"I'm so glad, baby..."

"Me too," she whispered. The last few weeks had scared Lauren a great deal. Things with her parents were still a little shaky at times and she hadn't quite forgiven them for hiding something so huge from everyone. "Can we go up to my room?" she murmured in his ear. Joey moaned, the sound of her voice reigniting his body.

He nodded, "I can't stay long though... I've got to go over to the gym later to do clear-up." Another pout from his beautiful girlfriend and it pushed Joey over the edge. He got to his feet, hoisting her over his shoulder, chuckling as he heard her shriek. He made his way quickly up the stairs, two at a time and went into her room, dropping her on the bed and going back to shut the door.

He climbed onto the bed beside her, his mouth finding hers quickly in a kiss that rapidly heated. "God, babe... you've been teasing me ever since I've walked through the door."

"It's only teasing if I don't intend to follow through, babe..." she said, mocking him with words he'd uttered to her a few months earlier.

"And what exactly are you intending to do?" he asked tentatively.

"This..." she whispered. Her hands moved to his jeans and she quickly unbuttoned them. Looking into Joey's eyes they both quickly moved so his jeans and boxers were around his knees. Joey kicked them off and onto the floor. Lauren took his cock in her hand, which was already starting to harden, a process that only continued as she began to stroke him. Joey groaned as her hand twisted slightly.

"Lo..." he groaned, his head falling back onto the pillow. His eyes shut and he concentrated on breathing and trying to hold back his peak. This wasn't the first time she'd done this since she'd been in hospital. He really wished he could reciprocate but every time he started, she pushed him away. Her hand moved faster on him and his arm wrapped around her back, squeezing her waist softly, something that a few weeks ago would've caused her a great deal of pain. "Oh god, babe..." he moaned, wishing more than anything he was inside her now.

"Do you like that, JoJo?" she whispered.

"Mmm..." he said.

"Is there anything else I can do for you?" she asked. Her other hand stroked his thigh softly and he moaned again. She released her hold on him and he opened his eyes instantly, looking at her in concern. She smiled at him and it distracted him from what her hands were doing. He felt her fingers caress his balls and he swallowed, his mouth running dry.

"LoLo?" he murmured.

"Relax, JoJo..." she whispered, shifting further down his body, "Close your eyes..." It was as if she was torturing him with everything he'd ever done to her since they'd got together and it was hot. His cock twitched against his stomach and he practically heard her smirk when she spoke again, "Well, it seems there's one part of you that won't relax..." she whispered. "I guess I might have to help you out with that then..."

Joey's hands clenched in the duvet covers and his hips shifted as her hand took hold of his length again. She stroked him firmly again and he moaned her name. She didn't say anything else but then he gasped as he felt her tongue tentatively lick the tip of his cock. He opened his eyes, seeing her place her lips around the head of his cock. There was only so much stimulation he could take... like I said earlier it had been a long few weeks and the sight before him now had his cock pulsing like a fountain... straight into her hot delectable mouth. She stroked him throughout his orgasm, only releasing her hold once he had softened. "You have no idea how much I want you right now, Lo..."

"Maybe we can try over the weekend..." she whispered.

"I'd like that, Lo... but only if you're comfortable with it." He told her softly. "I would never force you to do something you don't want to do."

"I think I'm ready, Joe..." She murmured, her lips settling on his neck and kissing him tenderly.

Despite her words he could tell there was still something bothering her and he wasn't convinced they would follow through on what she'd said. "Let's see how you feel tomorrow..." He turned his head and kissed her gently, "I'm so sorry, I need to go..." he said, seeing the time. He pulled away from her and grabbed his clothes from the floor, starting to pull them back on.

Lauren knelt behind him, her arms wrapping around his neck and she rested her chin on his shoulder, "I love you, Joseph Branning..." she breathed into his ear.

"I love you too, babe..." he said, kissing her softly on the cheek, "I've got to run... Sorry." He got to his feet, turning to face her again and kissing her once more.

"Go... before Uncle Jack sacks you..." she giggled.

"Just be ready for ten tomorrow morning..."

*JL*JL*

Lauren stood in the hallway, nervously biting the skin on her thumb as she watched the seconds and minutes tick by. It was quarter past nine and she'd already been ready for ten minutes. Yes, she was a little early but she was excited about the fact it was just going to be her and Joey for two days. She'd realised it was Valentine's Day on Monday so she was prepared, having a card stowed away in her bag. She also had a gift for him but was still somewhat hesitant to give it to him... more because of her own issues rather than anything to do with him. It was something she'd brought a couple of weeks earlier... having plucked up the courage to ask Whitney for help. Lucy's secret weighing heavily on her mind. She was going to ask Lucy but things still hadn't improved between them since before Christmas. Therefore having to approach someone she disliked marginally less than she did Lucy in order to ask her for help had been a sobering experience for Lauren and she knew it was possibly something she would live to regret. But she did need advice and had no one else to turn to.

She glanced at the clock and saw another five minutes had passed. She sighed and walked into the lounge, almost throwing herself on the couch, huffing as she did so.

"What's wrong, babe?" Her dad asked, flicking through the paperwork he was working on at the dining room table.

"Just nervous..." she said.

"About what?" he asked, stopping what he was doing and looking at his daughter.

"Um..." She looked at the floor, suddenly regretting starting this conversation.

Max stood and walked over to his daughter, crouching in front of her and lifting her chin, "Talk to me, babe..."

"We're going away tonight..."

"I know, babe. Joey asked me if it was okay with us before he arranged it."

"And you're okay with that?"

"He makes you happy, sweetheart and that's all we have ever wanted..." he told her.

"Do you know what we're doing? Where we're going?"

"Not all the details... but some of them."

"What if I disappoint him?" she whispered.

"In what way...?" he asked, frowning at the sadness on her face.

"We haven't... you know... since I was in hospital..." Lauren said, twisting her face out of his grip.

"Lauren, do you really think you could ever disappoint Joey?" her dad asked her softly. "The boy has loved you the whole of his life... just like you have loved him. He's not expecting anything from you this weekend."

"I'm scared things won't be the same as they were before..." she admitted.

"Why wouldn't they be?"

"I don't feel the same... I feel different since the operation..."

"I don't understand, babe..."

"I feel like I'm not me anymore..." she whispered. She looked up at her dad, "What if JoJo feels the same way?"

"Lauren, I'm not trying to encourage you... if you don't think you're ready to start that part of your relationship again then it's fine and I'm sure Joey won't mind either... but I really don't think you have anything to worry about. You're still the same person you were before the operation." The doorbell rang and Lauren was surprised to see it was just before ten already. "That'll be Joey..." her dad said, kissing her on the forehead and getting to his feet. "Dry your eyes, sweetheart..." She hadn't even realised she'd been crying.

*JL*JL*

Joey walked into the lounge and saw immediately that Lauren was upset by something, "LoLo?" he asked her softly.

"I'm being silly..." she said. She had been told that her emotions would be affected by the removal of her ovary and it was certainly true... most definitely in the last couple of weeks. She seemed to be on a permanent rollercoaster ride but she'd tried to hide it from Joey as much as she could.

"No, you're not..."

"We should be going..." she said, getting to her feet, dismissing the conversation.

Joey stared at her, knowing he wasn't going to get anything more out of her about this now. He hoped he'd be able to speak to her more once they got to their destination. "Yeah, we'd better go... Dad's waiting for us outside."

"He is?" Lauren asked in confusion.

"Yeah, he's driving us..." Joey explained. Lauren nodded but was none the wiser. Joey picked up her bag and took hold of her hand, pulling her towards the front door. Out on the street were their dads waiting for them. Joey's dad stepped forward and held out some keys to his son. "Dad?"

"I figured it was time you got a bit more independence, son." He said, jiggling the keys and dropping them into Joey's hand.

"But..." It was his turn to be confused.

"Have a nice weekend the two of you," Lauren's dad said, smirking at his nephew's confusion. He took Lauren's bag from Joey and went around to the boot and put it in the car.

"There's a full tank of petrol and Uncle Max had it fully checked over before I brought it at the auction." Derek said to his son.

"I don't know what to say, dad..." Joey murmured.

"Goodbye would be a good place to start..." he said with a smile.

Joey hugged his dad tightly, "Thanks dad..." he whispered, suddenly slightly overcome with emotion.

"Have a nice weekend, lovely Lauren..." Her Uncle said to her, smiling at her fondly.

Lauren hugged him too, "Thanks Uncle Derek... I'm sure we will... when Joey gets round to telling me where we're going." Her dad opened the passenger door for her and she climbed in the car, finding Joey already in the driver's seat. Her dad shut the door and Joey started the engine.

"We're going camping, babe..." Joey said, looking at her with a smile.

"You have remembered its February?" she asked, thinking he had gone insane over the last couple of weeks. Maybe the lack of sex had affected his brain... or it had just relocated to a lower part of his anatomy than the head on his shoulders.

"Of course I have." He said, leaning forward and kissing her softly on the mouth. "It just means we get to snuggle up together so we stay warm." He told her in a whisper.

"Well, I guess I will be in the same bed as the human hot water bottle, so we should be fine." She said with a giggle.

"Exactly." He smiled at her. "You'd better get the map out, babe... Hope you're good at navigating..."

*JL*JL*

The journey to Great Yarmouth took almost three and half hours with only one slight deviation from the right route, which Lauren was extremely sorry for. Both were a little tense by the time they reached the campsite and they hadn't even put the tent up yet. That task took another thirty minutes once they'd found their pitch and Joey had insisted it was man's work and it was his responsibility to put up the tent. Lauren just hoped he wasn't expecting her to do the cooking because her repertoire was quite limited.

Once the tent was all set up they decided to walk into the town to have a look around. It was so refreshing to just be able to walk around hand in hand and not worry about who saw them. They walked along the beach front reminiscing about the family holidays they'd had here as children... before Alice and Abi were born.

Joey bought them fish and chips and they sat looking out to sea as they ate. "We ought to get back to the campsite soon... the weather is closing in." Joey said once they were done.

"Okay." Lauren whispered, smiling at the fact she was desperate to say 'I told you so' to him. Camping in February... only Joey could come up with something like this.

They walked back to the campsite, Joey teasing Lauren all the way about how accident prone she had been as a child. There was so many times that she'd injured herself or even ended up in hospital. Lauren protested a little but she knew he was right... she was accident prone. The main reason she was quiet though was because she was getting apprehensive for what was going to happen once they were back at the campsite. That and the fact she was freezing.

Once they were in the tent the atmosphere heightened and although she tried to ignore it she was worried... and scared.

"You ready to talk about it, Lo?" Joey asked softly as he lay on the airbed beside her. Her back was to him and there was a little space between them but Joey was trying not to crowd her and he couldn't bear the thought of her pushing him away. She shrugged her shoulders. "I'm ready to listen if you want to talk..." he said softly.

"It feels different..." she said, her voice cracking slightly as she spoke.

Joey froze, his heart racing as he absorbed her words, "What does?" he whispered, scared to hear her answer.

"Me... I feel different... since the operation..."

"About me?" he asked, his heart breaking as he asked her the question.

"No JoJo... about me." She said. She rolled over to face him and rested her head on his chest, his arms wrapping around her. Silence fell between them for several minutes. "I don't feel like me anymore."

"But you haven't changed, Lo..." he said.

"I have, Joe..." Her body began to shake against his and it scared him to see her break down like this. He had sort of been expecting it though... she hadn't really cried since she'd been released from the hospital and he was more than aware she had been holding him at arm's length for several weeks now... not physically but emotionally at least.

"Explain it to me, LoLo..."

"I feel like I lost more than just my ovary when they cut it out... like I'm not as much of a woman anymore." She tilted her head back so she could look at his face in the lamplight. He could see the tears in her eyes and it broke his heart further. "I'm scared you might see the changes too... if we were to be intimate... that you might realise you don't like the new me as much as you liked the old one."

"Firstly I loved the old one as you referred to it, I didn't just like you. And secondly it's not possible for my feelings for you to change, Lo." He whispered. His hand came up and caressed her face gently, "Do you know what I see every time I look at you?" She shook her head, "I see this gorgeous girl that gets more beautiful every time I look at her. She's curvy in all the right places. Her boobs are just the right size to fit my hands... when we make love our bodies fit together perfectly, it's almost like we were made for each other, LoLo. I've loved you for as long as I remember... probably before I was even aware of it. You have caught and held my attention the whole of my life. I've lost girlfriends and best friends because of you and I don't regret any of it because no one is as important or will ever be as important to me as you are." She was staring at him, her eyes wide as he kept talking. "When I think about my future, there is so much I'm unsure of but the one thing I never doubt is that you are always going to be part of my life. I love you so much, Lauren and sometimes I'm not even sure you believe me."

"I do believe you..." she whispered. She bit her lip, thinking through everything he'd just said to her. "Joe... can we... will you..."

"Breathe babe..." he murmured, hating seeing the tension in her face.

"Can you touch me?" she whispered.

"Of course I can." He said. He lowered his mouth to hers, kissing her deeply and rolling her onto her back. They were both breathing deeply when they pulled apart. "Let's get rid of these clothes, eh?" He rolled away from her and they both quickly removed their clothes occasionally glancing at each other. Joey watched as Lauren came back to the airbed, looking at him self-consciously and covering the new scar she had on her stomach. As she was about to sit down Joey stopped her and he moved so he was kneeling in front of her. He pried her hands away from her body and brushed his fingers over the slightly puckered mark. The scar was still red and stood out against her pale skin but it was only just over five weeks since the surgery and it would fade over the months and years of their future. Joey glanced up at her face and he saw the way she was watching what he was doing, her face looked haunted, wary of what he was about to do. He lowered his eyes again and then pressed his lips softly against the scar, then moving slightly lower and kissed the older scar that marked where her appendix was removed. Both of these scars represented the worst two times in his life. Both events had left their own scars on him, albeit somewhat less visible than Lauren's ones. Those scars represented the two times he'd nearly lost her from his life and he was determined that he wasn't going to lose her now.

He shuffled back on the bed and pulled her down beside him. He kissed her again, his hands running over her body, re-awakening the desire within her. "JoJo... I love you so much..." she moaned against his mouth.

"I know you do, babe," he breathed. "Are you ready?" he asked her, not needing to explain what he was asking her. She nodded, biting her lip as she watched his face. "If you change your mind, or want me to stop, you just need to say, okay? I won't be angry. I want you to want this..." Another nod. He placed his lips on hers and kissed her, deepening it quickly. Her tongue licked his bottom lip and he moaned as her tongue slipped into his mouth when he opened to her. "Can you feel how much you turn me on, baby?" he breathed against her lips. She was breathing heavily and she smiled at him as he pressed his hips into her. "Your whole body turns me on... the way you react when I touch you... when I kiss you..." he fell silent and he lifted his hand and cupped the side of her face in his hand. He ran a finger down her face, tracing along her jaw and then down her neck. Lauren shivered slightly at the sensations he was creating within her. He brushed the finger down the centre of her chest, moving his hand so it could cup her boob, the heat of his hand causing her to moan. His other hand moved to its partner and then his forefingers and thumbs twisted her nipples and her back arched off the bed. Joey had been staring at her face but now his eyes shifted down her body and he took in the sight of her beautiful chest. His head lowered and he took one peak between his lips and he heard her respond. He brushed his tongue back and forth over the nub and heard the way her breathing changed as he did so. He switched to her other breast and repeated the same actions. He would never tire of doing this with her.

"I need you, Joe." She whimpered and it was the first time she'd spoken in almost twenty minutes.

Joey knew it was time for him to move forward. He lifted his head, staring at her face as his hand ran down her body slowly until he reached her clit. She moaned as he traced a finger in circles around the peak, edging ever closer but never quite touching it. She kept trying to increase the pressure he was touching her with but Joey wasn't letting her have it her way. "Is this what you want, Lo?" he asked.

"No..." she moaned, again shifting as she lay on the bed.

"Tell me..."

"I want you to touch me..." she said, licking her lips as she stared at her boyfriend's face. "I want you to make me come. I want you to make me feel beautiful." She whispered, tears forming in her eyes.

"You are beautiful..." Joey smiled at her tenderly, his mouth finding hers again. He pulled away from her and then dotted kisses down her body, again pausing to pay attention to her boobs before kissing down her stomach. As he kissed her newest scar his fingers traced her opening and he heard her gasp. She was already so turned on and his finger slid into her easily, causing her to moan. He pressed his thumb on her clit and Lauren cried out his name, wriggling on the airbed. "So responsive..." he murmured against her stomach. He added another finger, increasing his tempo in and out of her body. His mouth moved lower until he was level with her clit and he kissed it gently, a whimper slipping through her lips. Joey moved on the bed, shifting so he lay between her legs, Lauren creating room for him eagerly. A third finger stretched her open, her body tightening on him as the pressure within her built. Joey pulled her clit between his lips as his fingers curved up inside her and brushed over that soft spot that usually made her scream. Tonight was no different. Her body practically levitated off the mattress as she came hard and Joey pulled his fingers from her and replaced them with his mouth, his tongue slipping between her folds and lapping up her juices.

"JoJo..." she sighed several minutes later as her high gradually faded. Joey moved back up her body, his mouth meeting hers in a passionate kiss. Lauren could taste herself on his lips and tongue and she closed her eyes, feeling the arousal begin to ascend again. "I want you, Joe..." she whispered.

"You're sure?" he asked.

"More than ever." She confirmed.

Joey reached for the box at the side of the bed and pulled a condom out, rolling away from her briefly so he could put it on. He knelt between her legs and stared at her face. "Come here, baby..." he said softly and she pushed herself so she was sitting up. She moved towards him slowly and Joey lifted her off the mattress and placed her on his lap, his cock trapped between their bodies. Lauren kissed him passionately and her hand reached down to stroke his length. "Babe... you're going to have to stop that or this is going to be over very quickly." He gasped into her ear as she kissed his neck. Since her orgasm she had come alive, teasing him with her hand and mouth. "This could be over embarrassingly fast anyway once I'm inside you." He admitted, his face colouring as a result of his words.

"Then I think it's time we do it, so that the second time we do this will be sooner..." she giggled and Joey had to smile at her words.

"Well, if you insist..." he said. He lifted her in his arms, staring into her eyes as she lined up his cock with her body. They both moaned as he slowly lowered her onto him. Joey hadn't been wrong, this was going to be very quick for both of them. His hands tightened on her hips and he went to move her but she stopped him.

"Wait..." She whispered. "I just need a minute..." she murmured, closing her eyes.

Joey watched her face, seeing the range of emotions wash over her features. "Did you want to stop?" he asked tentatively.

She shook her head, opening her eyes and looking up at him. "It's just been a long time since we've done this... a little bit of me had forgotten what it felt like, Joe..."

"Did I hurt you?" he asked her in concern.

"God, no, JoJo... this is the best feeling in the world, I promise." She smiled at him softly, her lips pressing against his in a tender kiss. She took a deep breath and her hand caressed the side of his face, "I'm ready now..." she whispered, "Remind me some more, JoJo."

Joey pulled her body against his and moved them so she was lying beneath him again. She moaned as they moved and he smiled at her. For a couple of minutes they didn't move, just taking their time to look at each other. "I love you..." he whispered, his hips starting to move slowly against her.

"I love you too..." she replied, moaning as he brushed against her inner wall.

"You're not the only one who'd forgotten how good this was," he breathed, lowering his head to her shoulder. "I've missed being this close with you..." he murmured.

"You mean all those times I made you come weren't enough for you?"

He lifted his head, seeing the small smile on her face, "You know those times were all amazing but it's nothing like this, like being in you now." He kissed the corner of her jaw, "Being inside you like this, feeling your body tighten on me the closer you get to coming... It makes me want to please you more."

"You do, Joe... Everything you have ever done with me... to me... has been amazing. I can't imagine ever doing this with anyone else... or wanting to." She told him softly. He pushed back into her and they both came, their words to each other pushing them over the edge as much as the actions themselves. They lay facing each other, staring at each other as they tried to collect their breath.

"Well that was a bit quicker than I was hoping for..." Joey murmured, looking somewhat embarrassed at the speed it was over.

"It doesn't matter, Joey..." she whispered. "We both were quick and it doesn't mean it wasn't good. It felt amazing from where I was..." she said with a smile.

"Same from here..." he said. He rolled onto his back and removed the condom. Once it was all disposed of he pulled her back into his arms, "So I get to sleep with you in my arms tonight... our first night together all night." He said softly.

"I've always wanted to do that with you..." she smiled suddenly, "Actually JoJo... this isn't our first night together. There was that night when I came to see you for the week in Nottingham... we were in a tent then too." She smirked at him, "What is it with you and tents?"

"Actually it was this tent as well..." He kissed her softly, "I hope I get more sleep tonight than I did that night."

"Huh?"

"You fidgeted all night, I didn't get any sleep whatsoever..."

Lauren laughed, "Well, if you're lucky, you won't get much tonight either..." she said softly.

"I think it's a good thing I brought a large box of condoms with me..." he said with a smile.

"So do I." She giggled, reaching over and grabbing another one as she felt his length start to harden. It was going to be a long night but for all the right reasons.

*JL*JL*

Lauren woke up the next morning in the best place she could ever be. Waking up in Joey's arms felt amazing... so much better than she thought it ever would be. She couldn't remember it from when she was small and she has a feeling Joey hadn't been there when she woke up that time, having gone to get them some breakfast from in the house. There was one problem though with her current position... she needed the toilet – really badly. She tried to pull his arms from around her but every time she did his grip on her tightened.

"Why are you trying to move away from me?" he moaned, his voice gravelly and erotic.

"I need to pee..." she whispered.

"I like the feeling of waking up with you in my arms."

"You might not in about five minutes..." she reminded him. He loosened his arms and she scrambled from the bed, pulling on her leggings and Joey's T-shirt and his hoodie. "I'll be back in a few minutes," she told him softly.

"Good... because I'm already missing having you in my arms..." he murmured.

Lauren smiled at him, watching his eyes close and his breathing deepen. Her body reminded herself that she had somewhere else she needed to be. She was gone from the tent in seconds.

*JL*JL*

Lauren smiled as she looked at Joey when she got back to the tent. He was asleep again and she was reminded how beautiful he was. She wanted to capture the moment and she pulled out the sketchpad from her bag. Never had she been so grateful to pack it as she was now. She sat at the end of the bed and opened the pad to an empty page. She began to draw, the picture pretty much flowing out of the end of her pencil and onto the paper. Thirty minutes after she began she was staring at the page in wonder. The drawing was almost as beautiful as the original and it was the first picture she had drawn that she'd loved in a long time.

Her finger brushed down the side of his face on the paper, smudging the lines a little. She sighed and closed the cover on her sketchpad, stowing it back in her overnight bag. She stood and stripped off her clothes, walking back over to where Joey lay. She smiled as she lay beside him and his arms opened, pulling her towards him again and back to where she always wanted to be.

*JL*JL*

The couple spent most of the day in bed, neither were particularly bothered about venturing outside. The weather was, to Lauren's amusement and Joey chagrin, atrocious. Neither of them particularly minded however because that just meant a lot of time where it was just the two of them. Their sexual relationship had been firmly reinstated in the past twenty four hours. So far the condoms Joey had brought with him (on the off chance Lauren might actually want to have sex) had been put to good use; the box had been half used and that didn't take into account the times Joey had gone down on her and made her come using just his mouth or fingers. All in all they had both had a great time... and I guess there's no more need to go into further detail than that.

There was another benefit of the weather not being great due to the ridiculous time of year to go camping, there were very few campers near them... the closest tent was at least a couple of hundred metres away so it didn't matter that they were both quite loud... Lauren in particular... during their lovemaking as no one was near enough to be bothered by the noise.

*JL*JL*

Lauren woke the next morning in exactly the same position as she had the previous morning. This time she snuggled back into his body and smiled when his arms squeezed her tightly. She could get very used to waking up this way every day. She wished there was some way she could have this in Walford but she knew that wasn't going to happen anytime soon. However accepting their parents were of their relationship she knew them spending the night together at either of their houses was unlikely to happen. The fact her parents had said yes to Joey staying when she'd been ill still surprised her, although she'd ended up in hospital therefore ruining that plan. The earliest it was likely to happen was not for more than six months... not until they could tell the rest of the family that they were together and go public. It seemed a long way off though and Lauren already hated the lying.

She turned her head and kissed his chest softly, her hand brushing his skin. "Well, that's a nice way to wake up..." he breathed, his eyes still shut.

"I certainly like it..." she murmured. "Do you think anyone will notice if we don't go back?"

"I think they will, Lo." He said gently. His hand tilted her chin so she was looking at his face, "We will get this again one day... don't worry. I like this too much to give it up now..."

"But that day is months away. I want it now. I like this... I like the way I never feel cold when I'm lying in your arms..."

"I'm not some cheap hot water bottle substitute, LoLo..." he said.

"I know that, Joey... but I do like it... I mean, look at us, we're lying in a tent in the middle of nowhere in the middle of fucking winter. That... is not normal, JoJo..." She smirked at him, "I'm lying here... naked... with just a sheet covering us and I'm not cold... because in your arms, I feel nice and toasty. What about that would you imagine I wouldn't like?" She remained silent, quirking an eyebrow at him, obviously waiting for him to answer.

He smirked at her, "Okay, I can live with being your hot water bottle..." he told her softly. "But only yours..." he told her.

"I can live with that too..." She said, resting her head on his chest again. His hand brushed casually up and down her back and eventually she closed her eyes and fell back to sleep in his wonderfully strong arms.

*JL*JL*

Valentine's Day started early for Lauren as she slipped once more out of the tent. This time she had a treat in store for Joey. He was awake when she left and he knew she had something planned because she couldn't hide anything from him but he didn't ask any questions once she told him it was a surprise. It seemed he was much more patient when it came to surprises than she was.

Now she was standing in the campsites particularly disgusting ladies toilets, second guessing the decision she'd made with her present for him. She stared at herself in the mirror before rolling her eyes and putting the coat she'd worn back on. It was now or never...

*JL*JL*

Joey's head turned towards the flap of the tent as she walked back in. His eyes followed her as she went over to their bags and dropped his hoodie and her leggings on top of the pile. She turned to face him and smirked, seeing his eyes locked on her. She turned back to her bag and crouched down, pulling out the shoes she'd brought with her. The red stilettos that matched her outfit completely. She slipped them on and then stood again and slowly unbuttoned the coat she was wearing. Her back was to him but she heard him gasp as it slipped off her shoulders and fell to the floor, revealing her outfit. She spun round to face him and saw his eyes drift over her body, running down from her face to her feet and back up again. "Happy Valentine's day, JoJo."

"Wow..." he whispered.

She smiled at him, seeing the look of wonder on his face, "I take it you like it then?" she asked, feeling more confident now she'd seen his face.

"Lo, you look stunning..." he said, "Why don't you come over here and find out how much I like what you're wearing?"

Lauren walked over to the airbed, her hips swaying slightly, his eyes watching her every move. She knelt on the mattress, making sure she didn't puncture it with her heels. She shuffled across towards him and then straddled him, "My my... I see there's one part of you that seems to really like this little old thing." She whispered, her hand settling on the bulge beneath the sheet that covered his modesty. She reached for the box next to the bed and pulled out a square foil, efficiently rolling it onto his length. Joey wondered at the confidence she was exuding today. He was distracted again by the sight of her sitting on him and his eyes dropped to the impressive cleavage that was enhanced by the lingerie she had on.

"I love you in red, Lo... you look stunning." He murmured. His hands run up her thighs, stopping to squeeze the red lace tops of her black stockings. Lauren closed her eyes as his thumb stroked the red suspender straps, tracing them all the way up to where it joined the red and black lace cami. He sat up and kissed her fervently, "I've got you a present too..." he told her.

"Mmm, I can tell..." she smirked, her hand patting his groin.

He smirked back at her, "Cute... but I don't mean that..." Lauren pouted at him and he kissed her quickly, "Call that a second present then, babe." He leant back and pulled a small present out from behind the mattress. He moved back to her and held the present towards her in a small gift bag.

"What is it?"

"Open it and find out..." he whispered.

She opened the bag, recognising the signature bluey green box inside it. She looked up at his face and kissed him softly. "This is too expensive, JoJo..."

"Dad helped me... he said I should get you something nice." He told her. "Are you going to open it or just stare at the box?" he asked her.

She tore off the satin ribbon and then lifted the lid. Inside was a bracelet... which she assumed was silver given it was from Tiffanys. It wasn't anything too fancy which showed her just how much Joey knew her. In the middle of the bracelet was an infinity symbol and Lauren knew what he was trying to tell her with his present. "I love it, JoJo..." she whispered.

"I hoped you would. Would you like me to put it on your wrist?" he asked her softly.

"Please..." She watched as he took the bracelet out of the box and unfastened, putting it gently around her left wrist and doing it back up.

"Nearly as beautiful as you are, LoLo..." he said softly.

"Are you going to unwrap your present, JoJo?" she whispered with a small smile.

"I don't really know where to begin..." he admitted.

"Maybe you should start with the stockings..." she suggested.

He nodded and his hands went back to the suspender straps, unclipping them from the stockings. He rolled them down her legs and took them off, slipping her shoes off her feet. "Turn around, Lo..." he whispered and she did as he said. He kissed the back of her shoulder as his hand found the zip that had taken her ages to do up and he lowered it slowly, kissing her skin as he bared it. He slipped the straps off her shoulders, more kisses dotted on her skin that made her shiver. His arms wound around her body and he cupped her lace covered breasts, pulling her body back against his as he looked over her shoulder. "Such a pretty sight..." he breathed in her ear.

"It's all yours, Joe." She moaned.

"I could take you right now... can you feel how much I want you? How my body reacts to you when you look like this?"

Lauren turned her head and looked into his eyes, "Then take me, JoJo... it's what we both want..."

His hands pushed the cami off her body, leaving her sitting astride him in just the matching briefs... that were giving him such an enticing sight as she sat with her back to him. "Oh god... Lo..." he whispered, his hand slipped inside the satin front and he stroked her folds, finding her already so wet. He knew this was as much of a turn on for her as it was for him. She moaned, her head falling back against his shoulder, "Do you like that, baby?" he asked her softly.

"JoJo..." she whimpered, "I need you in me..." She turned her head and kissed him passionately as his fingers touched her over and over. They moved together, turning so she was now facing him, Joey pushing down her knickers as she shifted. He was inside her quickly, both of them moaning as he stretched her open. Lauren moved on him slowly, staring into his eyes as they both climbed higher. It was Lauren who screamed his name first, her body gripping his length so tightly that Joey almost saw stars. Her name was only seconds behind his as Joey throbbed inside her, his peak hitting him hard. Lauren was lying on him some minutes later, her head resting on his still rapidly beating heart. His hands brushed up and down her back, sometimes slipping to caress the side of one breast. "I hope you liked your gift as much as I loved mine, JoJo..." she whispered to him.

"Almost as much as I love you, babe." He whispered, kissing her forehead, "Now get some rest, Lo because I'm not done with you yet."

TBC

**A/N: So does that make up for the last chapter? I hope the tears were happy this time (if there were any...). Let me know what you thought...  
**

**Next chapter's guest artists is... Lesley Gore...**


	17. Chapter 17: It's My Party

**So there were no correct guesses for the chapter title but considering the song was a hit in 1963 (apparently - I had to google it to find out). So once I'd decided on the subject matter, this song sprang to mind. It's time for the reappearance of that Crazy Chick again... and she lives up to her bitchy twiglet reputation. Anyway... if you don't recognise the song, the first line of the chorus is 'It's my party and I'll cry if I want to...' so sorry Lauren... but you know what that means...  
**

**TISSUE WARNING: There may be tears but they might not be all sad (Joey's going to look after his girl!) ENJOY!  
**

**Chapter 17: It's My Party.**

"I really don't want to have a birthday party, mum..." Lauren said as she followed behind her mum through the house. She'd much rather just spend the day with Joey and her family.

"Lauren, it's your seventeenth birthday and your dad and I want to spoil you a little. It's not very often you'll let us do it these days..." she said as she put plates on the table. "Anyway, all your friends are invited now."

"Yeah... all my friends." She murmured softly. The truth of the matter was she didn't have that many friends these days. Joey was her only real friend so the people arriving this evening would be acquaintances and people she didn't really like. And Joey. Things between the two of them since Valentine's Day and their weekend away had intensified their relationship even more.

The drive home from their camping trip had been great. They had stopped along the way and had enjoyed their last few hours together before they'd gotten home and had to pretend they were just cousins once more. Unfortunately both of them had been busy with school and college since then with both of them studying for exams that would soon be upon them. Lauren knew Joey was struggling with his course and she wished there was some way for her to help him but there was only so much she could do... and when she was trying to keep on top of her work as well it was difficult. Needless to say their alone time for anything more than heated kisses and the odd caress were few and far between and she was missing him a lot. Truth be told she'd much rather just have the evening alone with him.

"Why don't you go and start getting ready, Lauren?" Her mum said. "If you do your hair and come back down here, I can do your nails and make-up for you."

"Okay, thanks mum." She ran up to her room and grabbed her mobile, dialling Joey's number and smiling when he answered, "Please tell me you're coming to this stupid party tonight..."

"Of course I am, Lo." He said.

"I don't understand why they're insisting on throwing me a party. Why haven't they asked me what I wanted?" she said as she looked through her wardrobe for the perfect outfit. She stopped as she saw something that was a possibility. It was a purchase she'd made last summer, before Joey and she'd brought it but regretted it as soon as she got home, never getting round to taking it back to the shop. Now she was grateful that she hadn't because she knew it was the perfect thing for her to wear now... after all Joey liked it when she wore red. And she had just the knickers to wear with it too. "Sorry JoJo... were you saying something?" She said, realising she'd phased out of the conversation.

"You didn't hear a word I just said did you?" he said and she could hear the smile in his voice.

"Sorry... I was looking for something to wear and got distracted by the perfect outfit."

"Well, I look forward to seeing you in it later."

"Are you coming over early?" she asked him softly.

"No, I can't. I need to finish my project to hand in on Monday and I want to get it done tonight so I can spend the weekend with you."

Lauren smiled, "Well, who am I to argue with that logic?" she told him, "I'd better go and start getting ready... I love you, JoJo."

"Love you too, babe. Happy birthday." He ended the call and Lauren went to go and have a shower.

*JL*JL*

Four hours later Lauren was walking down the stairs after finally finishing getting ready for her party. Her parents were in the lounge when she got downstairs. "You look beautiful, sweetheart," her mum told her.

"Thanks mum." Lauren looked around the room, taking in all the things her parents had done. "It looks great, mum... you've done an amazing job." She said.

"It was the least we could do for you."

Lauren walked over to the dining room table and picked up a plastic cup of orange juice. She was nervous now. She wished Joey was here. Thinking of him made her touch the bracelet that decorated her wrist. She hadn't taken it off since he'd put it on for her. She loved it as much as she loved him. The bracelet said everything to her about their relationship... they were destined to last forever.

*JL*JL*

The doorbell rang for the umpteenth time and Lauren went to it quickly, hoping it was the person she most wanted to see. She opened the door and hoped she managed to keep the disappointment off her face when she saw it was Lucy, Whitney, Anthony and Tyler. As far as she was aware Anthony and Tyler weren't even invited. The four entered the house, wishing her a happy birthday before making their way into the lounge. Lauren walked after them, hoping she would soon be joined by her boyfriend.

*JL*JL*

"Have you missed me?" he whispered in her ear and she spun round to find him there.

"JoJo...!" she exclaimed. She flung her arms around his neck and hugged her tightly, feeling one of his arms wind around her waist and squeeze her briefly. "You know I've missed you. I thought you might not be coming."

"You know I'd never miss being here for my girl's birthday." He whispered in her ear, kissing her cheek softly. They reluctantly pulled apart, knowing that there were far too many people around for them to behave how they'd like to. "You look amazing, Lo... You know what that colour on you does to me?" he said, keeping his back to the rest of the room as he stepped closer to her, his groin pressing slightly against her hip.

"I wore it for you, Joe." She told him. "And I really think you'd like the knickers I'm wearing too," she whispered to him, seeing his eyes glaze over. "You liked them the last time I wore them." She smiled at him.

*JL*JL*

"Don't you think that dress is a little..."

"What Lucy?" Lauren asked as she turned to face her 'friend'.

"Well... cheap..." she finished.

"Excuse me?" Lauren gasped.

"Well it's a bit revealing. Most of the guys here have had a pretty good view of your cleavage and really, your legs aren't right for that length of dress, Lauren. I'm your friend and can tell you these things because you know I have your best interests at heart." Lauren stared at the girl before her, wondering when it was that her alleged friend had changed into the bitch she was now looking at. Had she just been blind to it all this time? "And if I'm going to be honest, Lauren, red just isn't your colour. It just makes you look a bit trashy..."

There was a crack of skin on skin as Lauren slapped the blonde's face, unable to take any more of the crap coming out of her mouth. "That's enough, Lucy." She said loudly, drawing the attention of most of the room, well those whose attention hadn't been caught after the slap.

"I'm only telling you what everyone is thinking, Lauren." Lucy said. She glanced around the room, a look of disdain on her face.

"You okay?" Whitney said as she moved to her side. Lauren thought she was speaking to her but when she glanced at her, she saw Whitney was looking at Lucy and not her.

"Yeah, Whit. I think it's time we left this sorry excuse for a party." Lucy said spitefully. "Maybe you should get the boys and we can head off somewhere with more atmosphere."

"No one's forcing you to stay, Lucy." Lauren hissed at her, "In fact, here... let me help you..." she took the cup from her hand and placed it angrily on the side near them, some of its contents sloshing over the side. She grabbed Lucy's wrist and yanked her hard as she strode towards the front door. Pulling the door open and she shoved Lucy through it, moving to stand on the door step. "Don't let me keep you, Lucy. I'm sure you have much better things to do than hang around at my little birthday party." With that she spun around and stalked back into the house, slamming the door behind her. Whitney and the two boys scuttled past her less than a minute later and Lauren watched them leave, not a word said by any of them. She turned back towards the lounge and found her dad standing in the doorway.

"You okay, babe?" he asked.

Lauren nodded but tears were stinging her eyes and she had a definite lump in her throat. "I just need a couple of minutes." She said, biting her lip to stop the tears from escaping. She ran up to her room and leant against the door after shutting it behind her. The tears were quickly released as soon as she was in the safety of her room and she hated the way the girl who was supposed to be her best friend affected her so much.

"LoLo..." His voice through the door was like a soothing balm and she stepped away from the door, turning the handle and opening it slightly. She walked away from the door and over to the full length mirror near her wardrobe.

Joey walked into her room and found Lauren staring at her reflection in her mirror, "Don't listen to a word she said, Lo..." he said softly. He walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, pressing his body up against hers.

"Why would she say those things?"

"Because she's jealous, babe..." he whispered.

"What have I got that she could be jealous about...?"

"Well me for starters..."

"I'd give you that if it wasn't for the fact she doesn't know we're together, JoJo..."

"Okay... well, have you seen yourself? You are stunning... you've a figure to die for, a beautiful smile, gorgeous eyes and don't even get me started on your tits and legs."

"Firstly I think you might be a little biased and according to Lucy, I look cheap and trashy..." she said, tears falling again down her face. "She basically said I was a whore, JoJo... I don't want people to think of me that way, not even people who don't know me." Joey didn't say anything to her, he knew her well enough to know that anything he said would fall on deaf ears. The only thing that gave away how he felt about what she'd just said was the clenching of his fists as she repeated Lucy's words to her. He wished he'd been in the room at the time but he was talking to his dad in the kitchen. The first he knew was when he walked into the lounge as Whitney and her friends were leaving the house. There had been a deathly silence in the room and Auntie Carol had told him what had just happened in a whisper, although she'd only said the two girls had had a fight which had ended with Lauren slapping her friend and frogmarching her out of the house. "I'm going to change..." she whispered.

"Don't, Lo... I like you in that dress..." He turned her to face him and tilted her chin up, "Don't let her spoil the party for you..."

"She's spoilt this dress for me now..." she told him, "Regardless of what I think about this dress when I look at myself in that mirror now, I think she's right... I look like a hooker..."

"I completely disagree but if it will make you feel better to change, then I won't stop you." He whispered, "As long as I get to help you do so..." he added with a smirk.

"Find me something to wear, JoJo while I repair my make-up..." she said softly.

"In a second..." he said, pressing his body into hers, "but first..." he kissed her deeply, his tongue brushing against hers as she moaned into his mouth. His hand brushed up her thigh and he recognised the knickers she was wearing from touch alone. Knowing what she had on beneath the dress made him groan and he felt her smile against his mouth. "You can keep those on too..." he breathed against her neck as he kissed down it until he reached her shoulder. "Promise me you will wear this dress again, LoLo..." he pleaded with her.

"I promise... I just can't today." She reassured him. "Now choose me something to wear."

He reluctantly pulled away from her and turned to her wardrobe while she went and re-did her hair and make-up. Joey found a dress he liked and held it out for Lauren's for approval she nodded her head and opened a drawer, pulling a bra out of it. "Do you want me to do anything else?" he asked.

She smirked at him and turned her back, lifting her hair off the back of her neck, "You can undo my dress..."

"Actually, maybe I should give you your birthday present first..." he said, taking her hand in his and pulling her over to her bed.

"You've got me a present?" She asked, surprised once more by him. He quirked his eyebrow at her, "I wasn't expecting it after the bracelet you got me." She said. She kissed his cheek tenderly and then wiped off the lipstick mark she'd left.

Joey picked up the jacket he'd left on her bed when he first got to the house and reached inside, pulling a wrapped box out of the pocket. He held it out towards her, "Happy birthday, Lo..." he said softly.

Lauren turned the present in her hands, she already suspected what was inside and she was pretty sure she might be about to cry again if he'd done what she thought he'd done. Sure enough, when she tore off the paper, there inside was another box from Tiffanys. "JoJo... you shouldn't have..."

"I got it at the same time as I got the bracelet..." he whispered.

She took the lid off the box and inside was a necklace which matched her bracelet he'd already given her. "Joey... it's too much..." she whispered.

"It's nothing in comparison to how much I love you..." he said softly and there was now a very large chance that Lauren would need to do her make-up for a third time. "Would you like me to put it on for you?" he asked. She nodded and twisted on the bed, lifting her hair off her neck. He lovingly put the necklace around her neck, fastening the catch and kissing the back of her neck softly. His hands reached for the zip on her dress and he slowly lowered it, revealing that she wasn't wearing a bra, making his mouth run dry.

She dropped her hair back down and shimmied out of the dress, kicking it across the room, before turning to face him, "Do you like it?"

"It looks beautiful..." he whispered.

She giggled, "I'd believe you so much more, JoJo, if your eyes were a couple of inches higher..."

"You can't stand there like that and not expect me to look, babe..." he said, his face flushing.

She smiled at him and took two steps forward, sitting on his lap. She put her arms on his shoulders, brushing her fingers through the back of his hair, "Maybe a closer look will give you a better view..." she breathed.

"God..." he sighed. His hands moved up her body and cupped her breasts, his thumb swiping over each peak. He eyes rose up her chest and finally looked at the necklace that hung around her neck, "So beautiful..." he said and she knew he wasn't talking about the jewellery. Her boyfriend was a soppy romantic fool at times but she loved him for it.

"We'd better go back downstairs," she whispered, "before someone else comes looking for us." She kissed him quickly and deeply before getting back to her feet and walking over to where her dress was hung up. "Can you bring my bra over for me, Joe?" she asked, a hint of laughter in her voice.

Joey eased the strapless bra onto her body with an efficiency that masked the nervousness he was feeling. Lauren put the dress on over her head and Joey slid the zip back up her body. She looked a million dollars but then Joey thought she did all the time, even when she was wearing her school uniform. She turned to face him and saw the look on his face, "You look beautiful, LoLo," he said before she even asked him the question. He lowered his head and kissed her tenderly, "I love you..."

"I love you too... and thank you for the present."

"There's a card too..." he said. "I actually got you two cards... one that you can put up with everyone else's downstairs... that the family can see and a proper one from me."

"You spoil me, Joe." She said, smiling up at him.

"Well it'd look weird if I didn't get you a card... but I wanted to get you a proper one too." His face was crimson and Lauren took pity on him, rising on her tiptoes and kissing him.

"So do I get my card now... or later?"

"It's up to you..."

"Lauren?" It was her mum, shouting up the stairs.

"Well, I guess that answers that question..." she said. She took his hand in hers and they walked out of the room. Her mum stared at her as she walked back down the stairs.

"You've changed..."

"Yeah, I didn't feel comfortable in that dress anymore."

Her mum hugged her, "Don't let Lucy spoil your day, darling."

"Joey said the same thing... and I won't."

"It's time for you to cut the cake..." Her mum told her. The three of them went back into the lounge, Joey and Lauren releasing each other's hands as they did so and Lauren was serenaded to a rousing rendition of Happy Birthday as she cut the cake.

*JL*JL*

Later that evening Lauren was sitting on the sofa with Joey, leaning on his chest and reflecting that, apart from the argument and considering it was a Branning party, the day hadn't gone too badly. "Do you want your proper card now?" he murmured into her hair.

She lifted her head and nodded. "Is it upstairs?" she asked, tilting her head to one side.

"Yeah."

She sprang up from the sofa and held her hand out towards him. Her parents were just walking out of the kitchen as they started upstairs. "We'll be in my room." Lauren told them. As soon as she shut the bedroom door she was kissing him, "I've wanted to do that for hours..." she whispered.

"No arguments from me..."

"Bed..." she moaned and Joey lifted her feet off the floor, walking them both over to her bed and lowered her to it. She wound her leg around his calf as he half-laid on top of her and kissed her. Her foot caressed his leg, brushing against the skin of his ankle. He pulled away from her gasping and stared at her intently.

"What is it about being with you and not being able to have you just makes me want you more..." he asked her.

"I've no idea because I want you all the time..." she told him, her face heating at her words. Had it really only been just over six months since she'd had sex with Joey for the first time? It felt like longer and yet she was still discovering new things all the time. He sat up and reached for the end of her bed. When he returned he had a large envelope in his hand. Lauren looked at the envelope and could see it was one he'd ordered online so she wasn't sure what to expect when she opened it. One thing she did know, he was nervous about her opening it... which she found incredibly sweet and a little funny as well. She slid her thumb into envelope and she then pulled the card out. Her breath was taken away by what she saw. On the front of the card was a picture of the two of them from when they were really small. It was the two of them sitting on the beach eating ice creams and Joey was holding her hand. "I don't really remember this...?"

"I think it was the first holiday our families went on... I only remember bits of it. I think that picture was taken by Uncle Jack."

"He was there wasn't he?"

Joey nodded, "It was the middle weekend of the holiday and he played with us on the beach and then brought us those ice creams."

"You're holding my hand..." Lauren whispered.

"I know," he said, kissing the side of her head.

She looked at the card, taking in the words on the front, 'I love you'... She took a deep breath before she opened it and tears flooded her eyes when she saw the printed message inside, 'always and forever... for infinity...' She turned her attention to the handwritten note from him. It was brief but as she read it, her throat tightened and the tears already present began to fall.

_To my beautiful LoLo,_

_You are the person I want to spend the rest of my life with. I know it sounds too soon to say that but I've known you the whole of your life and I know you are the one for me. I'm sure people might think I'm too young to be able to say this and maybe I am, I don't know... but I know I've nearly lost you twice and I don't think I can handle a third time._

_I love you, babe and I'm always going to,_

_Yours forever, if you'll have me_

_Your JoJo xx_

"JoJo..." she whispered.

"I'm sorry... I shouldn't have written that. I've gone too far and scared you, haven't..." Lauren crushed her mouth to his, partly to stop him from rambling anymore but mainly because it was the only way she could respond to what he'd written in his card. And he thought he wasn't good with words? In her eyes, he was practically William Shakespeare...

"The card is amazing, Joey..." she whispered after they separated, "Do you know why?" he shook his head, "because it comes from in here..." she whispered, placing her hand over his heart. "I'm going to keep this forever, JoJo..." she smiled at him, "and keep you too..." she added, staring into his eyes.

"Glad we're in agreement then." He said, pulling her into his arms and hugging her tightly.

'Not a bad birthday after all,' Lauren thought to herself.

TBC

**A/N: I hope there were some happy tears when you read this? How sweet was Joey's card for Lauren? I may have visited an online card site and chosen the card... then had to think of which 'picture' from their past to use. And the card also pointed out the importance of the jewellery he chose for Lauren for Valentine's Day and her birthday... and tells her his intentions towards their future.**

**Next chapter's guest artist will be... a reappearance of P!nk... have a guess which song I've chosen this time.**


	18. Chapter 18: Blow Me (One Last Kiss)

**Hello again (another song reference... :-) ) So there was one right guess for the chapter title (well done disarranging) and one person who hoped the title wasn't called this (Sorry Lyssa1999 - hope you like my spin on it). So enjoy!**

**Chapter 18: Blow Me (One Last Kiss).**

By the time May came around Joey was completely stressed about his course. And it wasn't like he wasn't putting the effort in, he was. It'd got to the stage where studying was all he was doing. Lauren felt bad for him and wished there was something she could do to help him but she was busy with her own studying, having her first year A-Level exams starting next week.

Today was the last day of lessons for the year and she started her exams at the end of next week. So she was planning on having an evening off... she just needed to convince Joey to join her in it. She had a bit of a plan for them both... if she could pluck up the courage to do it.

She knocked on the door of his house and her aunt answered the door. "Hi, is Joey in?" she asked.

"He's up in his room but you'll probably not get any thanks for disturbing him, love. He's in a really bad mood today."

"I'll go up anyway, if that's okay. He needs a break."

"I'm going out in a while to collect Alice from her friend's house. Are you staying for tea, Lauren? You're more than welcome to."

"Thanks, Auntie Lesley, that'd be great." She walked up the stairs and pushed open the door to his room.

"Mum, I said I didn't want to be disturbed..." he said, not looking up from his books.

"Does that apply to me too?" she asked softly, leaning against the wall by the door.

"Lo..." he said, lifting his head and looked at her. He stopped writing and put down his pen. Lauren walked over to him and he pulled her onto his lap, pressing his head against her chest as she wrapped her arms around him. She could feel the tension in his whole body and she hated seeing him this way. "I can't do this, Lo... I'm reading all this through and none of its going in. I can't remember anything at all."

"JoJo, you need a break... You've been studying non-stop for days and I think you need to stop for the night and go back to it tomorrow, feeling a bit fresher." She said softly.

"Why am I finding this so difficult?" he whispered.

"I don't know, Joe... you're not stupid, I know that but maybe those missed weeks at the start of the year didn't help. Maybe we should take a break until your exams are over so you can concentrate on them. I don't want to be the reason you don't do well."

"No, LoLo... You're the only thing in my life that gets me through each day... seeing you, even if it's just for a few minutes of each day, it motivates me to keep going."

Lauren turned to his desk and closed his books and put the lids on his pens, packing them away as well. She stood up and took his hand in hers and pulled him from his seat and ushered him over to his bed. She hugged him to her again once they were lying side by side and she gradually felt the tension start to ease from his body. He kissed her after a couple of minutes, the passion building between them as it usually did. His hand was under her top and caressing her breast. Lauren had slipped her hand beneath his waistband and was stroking his cock slowly.

"Joey, I'm just going..." His mum said, walking into the room and shocking all three of them. Lesley stared at her son and girlfriend/niece before spinning around, "Sorry... I should've knocked." She said softly, mortified and horrified to catch her son like this. "I'm just going to go and collect Alice and we're going food shopping on the way home." Her voice was a little strangled as she tried to block the image of her niece's hand in her son's trousers from her memory. She left hurriedly, shutting the door firmly behind her.

Lauren had her face hidden in Joey's neck as soon as they were interrupted but it was only when the door shut again that she remembered where her hand was... and she knew her aunt had seen. "Oh god..." she whispered over and over.

"LoLo...?" Joey whispered.

"Your mum saw..."

"I know, babe... I was there..." he chuckled, not as horrified as his girlfriend or mum by what had just happened.

"No, I mean, she SAW..." Joey stared at her blankly. Lauren lowered her eyes so she was looking where her hand was and when he still didn't understand she gripped his length tighter in her hand. His eyes widened and he stared at her. "I should go," Lauren whispered. "Tell your mum that I had to go home for tea..." she added as she pulled her hand out of his trousers and tried to sit up.

Joey wasn't letting her escape that easily, "Lo, it's not like they don't know we're having sex."

"There's a difference between knowing about it and witnessing it first hand, Joe."

"I'm sure she's as mortified as you are, babe."

"Not helping, JoJo..." Lauren moaned.

"Please don't go..." he breathed, kissing her neck softly. "If you go... I'm just going to go back to my studying..." Another kiss and his hand moved back under her top. "And anyway we're alone now... no one is around to see and I want to make love to my girlfriend." His thumb brushed over her nipple and Lauren whimpered. "It's been too long, baby... I need you..." he whispered in her ear, his hips pressing against her body, proving how much he wanted her.

"I'm convinced..." she said softly, kissing him gently as she rolled him onto his back. She remembered something else and lifted her head, "I got a letter from the hospital this morning." She said.

"What about?"

"My scans and check-up."

"And?"

"It's in July... I'm going to miss the holiday." She told him. "The scans are in the first week and the follow up appointment with the consultant is in the second."

"Did you tell your dad?"

"Yeah, him and your dad were going to book the flights this weekend so they just won't get one for me now."

"Or me..." Lauren looked at him, "You're not going to the hospital on your own, babe." He said. "I'll be right there with you." His hand lifted and brushed the side of her face, tucking some hair behind her ear. "How do you feel?"

"About the appointments?" He nodded. "I can't say I'm not worried... I'm scared." She whispered.

"You don't have to be scared, Lo... I'm going to be there."

She looked at him and he could see the fear in her eyes, "What if they find cysts in the other one as well?" Tears fell from her eyes and he pulled her down onto his chest, "What if they want to remove my other ovary too?"

Joey kissed the top of her head, his fingers brushing through her hair as she became more and more upset. "Let's try not to think about it, Lo." He whispered. "You haven't had any pain again, have you?" he asked. She shook her head. "They only removed it last time because of the damage the cyst had done to it because it was so big, right? And with the other two there as well they couldn't save it."

"I don't want to lose you..." she sobbed into his shirt.

"Why would you do that?" he asked.

"If I can't have children, there is no me and you, is there...? We're over..."

His grip on her body tightened and he sat them both up. He stared into her eyes and he saw the resignation in their depths. He took a few seconds to calm himself down, angry with her for dismissing their relationship. His eyes caught the jewellery around her neck, his hand rising and a finger stroking the delicate chain. "This isn't just decoration, Lo." He whispered. "This means something..." he added, glancing up at her face. "It means that whatever happens, we're there for each other... We're together for eternity and we'll face any challenge together." His hand rose again and he cupped the side of her face, "We don't give up at the first sign of trouble... and we don't make grand gestures because we think it's what is right..." He watched her close her eyes, her bottom lip quivering, "Do you love me?" he whispered.

"More than anything..." she said without hesitation.

"And would those feelings change if I couldn't have children?" She opened her eyes and shook her head, "Then why would you think that if it was to happen to you I would feel any different?" he whispered.

"Because I know how much you want to have children..."

"And so do you, Lo... You used to play with dolls and pretend they were our babies when you were three or four."

"I remember..." she whispered, more tears rolling down her face.

"I know this isn't something we've spoken about... and there's no need to now, we're not in any rush to go down that route, are we? Maybe we could talk to the consultant about it though. He might be able to do something as a back-up plan in case you have any problems in the future." He kissed her softly. "In the meantime... are we going to take advantage of the empty house because I've missed you so fucking much, Lo..."

"I've missed you too, JoJo..." she whispered. She pulled her top off her body and smiled as his eyes drifted down to her chest. "Go on then... I know you want to." She said softly. One flick of his wrist was all it took to undo her bra and then she was bare for him. While he was somewhat distracted she made her decision... "JoJo, do you trust me?"

Her question surprised him and he wasn't sure what she was asking for, "You know I do, babe..."

She moved off his lap, "Take off your clothes..." she said softly. He paused for only a few seconds before following her instructions. She sat at the end of the bed, watching him and biting her lip when she gazed at his body. He really was a beautiful man... not that she'd ever seen as much of another one to compare him to. "Lie on the bed, JoJo and shut your eyes." Again he did as she said. Once he was lying in his previous position she moved and removed the rest of her clothes. She glanced towards his bedroom door and shook her head. She still couldn't get over the fact his mum had seen them together. She climbed over his body and lay beside him... he moved his arm so it was wrapped around her and she was tucked into his side. His hand settled on her bum and she smiled as she heard him inhale when he realised she was naked. They lay like that for a while and Lauren felt Joey relax more and more as the minutes passed. She kissed his neck softly, her lips barely brushing his skin and her hand began to graze over him as well. She could feel he was completely relaxed now and she ran her fingers down the centre of his chest and then wrapped around him, starting to stroke him softly. It only took a few seconds for him to start hardening in her hand and after a couple of minutes he was fully erect. She released her hold on him and gazed down his body.

"Lo..." he moaned and she turned her head and kissed his chest.

"Trust me..." she breathed against his skin. "Keep your eyes closed, JoJo..." she said in a whisper. She watched his face as she sat up, pulling out of his arm and she saw the frown that briefly marred his face before he relaxed and waited for her next move.

*JL*JL*

Joey nearly came as he felt her hot mouth surround the tip of his cock. That was about the last thing he'd expected from her. Yes, she'd done this to him before but he knew it was different this time, he could sense the anticipation in the air around them. Sure enough she took more of his length in her mouth, her tongue caressing him experimentally. He could already feel his body react to what she was doing and he tried to fight the desire as best he could because he wanted this to last.

She pulled away from him and he couldn't help the sigh as his cock fell from her mouth, "Is this okay, Joey?" she asked softly.

"Fuck yes, babe..." he groaned, her fingers loosely gripping him again. He groaned louder as her mouth was back and she took more in, her teeth grazing his sensitive skin that made his hips shift and push more into her mouth. "Need to touch you, Lo..." he moaned.

She pulled away again, "Give me your hand..." He lifted his hand off the bed and felt her take it in hers. The bed shifted and then his fingers brushed over her opening and he found her slick with desire. "Touch me, JoJo... make me come..." she whispered.

He concentrated on what he was touching, fighting the need to open his eyes and see for himself but knowing he couldn't because she'd told him to keep them closed. He pushed his fingers inside her and heard her moan softly. The bed shifted slightly and her hot mouth was back on him and it was his turn to groan. Her mouth slid lower, she had probably about two thirds of him in her mouth now and she was gradually taking more and more of him in as she bobbed up and down on him. He blindly pushed another finger into her, his fingertips brushing her inner wall and he heard and felt her moan around him. She moved faster, taking his full length into her mouth now and once or twice he hit the back of her throat, surprising him as he knew most girls wouldn't do that. His arousal was climbing and he knew it wouldn't be long until he came and it was going to be intense. "Can I open my eyes..." he begged her softly.

She pulled away from him and he almost heard her think through his question, "Yes..." she whispered.

Joey opened his eyes and they instantly found her face, seeing the slightly swollen lips of her mouth and the pink of her face as he stared at her. His eyes drifted down her body, pausing to stare at the perfection of her chest... he was fascinated by them and could happily spend hours watching them alone if it wasn't for the fact he wanted to see the rest of her too. She was lying beside him on her side but her head was down by his knees. Her top leg was bent so he now had a perfect view of her, his fingers twisting inside her and brushing her inner wall. "Can I taste you?" he asked, knowing she was unlikely to say no but not convinced about it.

"Yes..." she said again, her eyes dark with desire before she turned her head and wrapped her lips around him again and Joey moaned.

He shifted slightly on the bed, feeling her pull away from him as he shifted so he was closer to her. Once he was still again she took his whole length back in her mouth, moaning as he hit the back of her throat and pushing Joey one step closer to the edge. He stopped watching her, knowing the sight of what she was doing was too intense for him to take right now. He turned his head and pulled his fingers from inside her. She lay open to him and he moved his head closer and closer until his tongue brushed at her dampness. He licked the full length of her opening and used his finger and thumb to hold her open so he could push his tongue deeper inside her. He pulled his mouth away and blew a steady warm stream of air over her clit, feeling her moan around him. He fucked her with his tongue over and over, feeling her body shaking as she got closer and closer to her peak. She wasn't the only one who was close... there was a significant portion of his brain that was concentrating on not thrusting his hips and fucking her mouth because he really wasn't sure she could take that and if there was one thing he knew, he wanted them to do this again. Repeatedly. He was close to the edge, teetering on the precipice of coming so he pressed his thumb on her clit, feeling her break apart and tasting her essence as it ran into his mouth. She screamed around him, her teeth grazing him and sending him to his nirvana as he came in a gush into her awaiting mouth. She continued moving on him throughout his peak and licked him clean afterwards. She was so gentle and caring with him you would never guess that was her first time doing that and Joey could already feel his length starting to harden once more. He licked her clean as well and placed a soft kiss on her clit before rolling onto his back and trying to restore the use of his lungs and brain. Lauren moved, righting herself and tucking herself back under his arm. Joey looked at her, seeing the silent question on her face and he kissed her softly, his tongue brushing against hers as he tasted himself in her mouth. "Thank you, Lo... that was amazing..." he told her in a whisper.

"It was okay then?" she asked.

"More than okay..." he confirmed. He pulled her on top of his body as he kissed her again, feeling a renewed energy buzzing through his body. Her body rubbed against him as they kissed and he was soon grappling for a condom so he could be inside her when he came this time. She sank onto his sheathed length moments later and he heard her moan. She lay back on top of him and kissed him lazily, their movements slow and loving, their initial burning desire having lowered to a dull ember. He was vaguely aware of movement downstairs and he felt Lauren pause as she heard the sound too. "It's mum and Alice..." he whispered. She started to pull away from him but he stopped her. They listened as they heard the sound of voices and Joey then realised his dad was home as well.

"I should go, JoJo..." Lauren murmured, "I don't want them to know what we're doing..." she said and he could see she was getting upset.

"Babe, please don't go... let me make love to you..." he said softly. He could see her thinking about what he'd said and he felt her relax, knowing her decision before she'd voiced it.

"Okay..." she whispered.

Joey rolled them so she was beneath him now. Her legs wrapped around his waist and he heard her sigh as he slowly pushed in and pulled out of her body. He continued the slow pace they'd set earlier and he could feel her body start to tighten on her. He slowed his movements further, wanting and needing this to last longer. He felt her tense as footsteps came up the stairs but they walked past his room and into his parents. "It's okay," he murmured, kissing her tenderly. He shifted slightly on the bed and it changed the angle he moved in her as he slid back into her, feeling her body clamp down on him. He rested his arms either side of her head and continued the excruciatingly slow pace he'd set. A floorboard creaked on the landing and Lauren froze, her body tensing again and Joey was sure she'd even stopped breathing. Again the footsteps made their way past his room, going back down the stairs.

"Dinner will be in an hour, Joey..." his dad's voice called back up the stairs and Joey swore he could hear laughter in his dad's voice.

"Stop, JoJo..." she whispered and Joey did, staring at her face and seeing the tears in her eyes. "I can't do this... they know what we're doing... I can't do this..." She was working herself up into a right state and Joey kissed her to silence, his hand caressing her cheek.

"We might as well carry on if they think we're already doing it..."

"I can't face them again if they know." She sobbed.

"They knew beforehand, babe." He reminded her. "They've known we've been sleeping together for months and it's never bothered you before."

"They've not been in the same house when we've done it..."

"If you really want to stop then we will..." he said. He'd always told her he would never make her do anything she didn't want to and he wasn't going to break that promise now. "Is that what you want?"

"Yes... No... I don't know... This just doesn't feel right..." He started to pull away from her but she clung to him tightly. "I've disappointed you, haven't I?" she said, fresh tears falling from her eyes.

"Of course you haven't." He said. He kissed her passionately, hoping his action would reassure her.

She took a deep breath as his mouth left hers and she stared up at him, "Don't stop..." she finally whispered.

He smiled at her and kissed the tip of her nose, his hips resuming their previous movement. "We've got a while... or are you in a rush?" he asked in a whisper.

She pecked his lips, "No rush..." she sighed as he pushed back into her, his length brushing across her G-spot and causing her to bite her lip.

Joey smiled and for the next ten minutes he continued as he had been before. Every time he felt her peak nearing his movements would slow and she would moan as she recognised he was slowing again. He knew he couldn't hold off much longer though. And they were running out of time if they wanted to clean themselves up a bit before going downstairs. "You ready?" he asked her softly. She nodded, smiling up at him. He pulled from her and saw the disappointment on her face, "Trust me..." he said and she smiled at him. He nuzzled his mouth against her neck, kissing up it until he reached her ear, "On your knees, LoLo..." he breathed, hearing her inhale sharply. He pulled away from her and waited for her to move. She did move, kissing him before turning her back to him. He nudged her knees further apart and placed his tip at her entrance. He slid inside her in one quick thrust, hearing her moan. His lips brushed up her back and then he was leaning over her, her body quivering slightly beneath him. He placed his hands on top of hers, lacing their fingers together as he tried to calm himself. His bed creaked slightly as they shifted and he winced, waiting for Lauren to change her mind but she didn't. The TV was switched on downstairs, the noise of it breaking the silence that surrounded them. He felt Lauren relax as they heard the family moving on the lower floor and now that there was more noise she was definitely less tense. He pulled himself upright again and then pulled her back against him, his hands cupping her chest, "Move forward a bit, babe..." he told her. They both moved until they were closer to the top of the bed and Joey grabbed Lauren's hands and rested them on his headboard, "Hold tight, LoLo..." he whispered, as he nudged her legs apart again. He had an idea and reached for the remote control on his bedside table; why this had never occurred to him before he'd never know. He switched on the music, wincing slightly as he heard the song that was playing. It was hardly romantic and he heard Lauren giggle. He went to turn it off again but she spoke and it stopped him.

"Leave it, JoJo... I won't need to worry about them hearing us with this playing..." she said. He gripped her hips and her hands tightened on his headboard. There was another advantage to the music that was playing, the rhythm was fast and he used it as guidance for his movements. Lauren moaned and her head fell back on his shoulder as he thrust into her repeatedly. His hand brushed her hair to one side and he lowered his mouth to her shoulder, sucking on the skin and leaving a faint mark that would no doubt infuriate her. She pushed herself back against him, her body starting to constrict on him. Her moans were constant now and he was glad for the music to mask the noise she was making.

Joey moved faster, needing them both to come now. He cupped one breast with his hand and the fingers of his other one moved down to her clit. He could tell she was really close now, her body squeezing him so tightly he was literally seeing stars. His thumb brushed over her nipple while the fingers of his other hand rubbed her clit and she flew apart, moaning his name loudly and his own cock exploded inside her as the slow build up made for one powerful orgasm. He grunted her name into her shoulder, peppering kisses over her skin as he felt her begin to calm and his own high fade. He wrapped his arm around her waist and let himself collapse onto the bed, taking her with him. He felt his cock slip out of her body and hear her sigh softly as it did so. He loved his girl so fucking much and he was pretty sure he'd just proved that to her.

*JL*JL*

Joey pulled Lauren down the stairs half an hour later. He could feel her reluctance to follow him and he turned to face her, "It's going to be fine, Lo... I promise." She pouted slightly and he kissed her, both of them losing themselves in it for several seconds. "Why don't you go into the lounge and I'll go and speak to my mum, okay?"

"You want me to face your dad... on my own?" she said, her voice shaking.

"You could come and see my mum with me if you'd like?" he said, knowing she would say no.

"I'll be in the lounge." She breathed, glaring at him as she saw him smirk. She pushed open the door and saw her uncle sitting in an armchair watching TV.

"Hello sweetheart, I didn't realise you were here..."

"Hi Uncle Derek..." Lauren said, trying to keep the relief out of her voice. It seemed it was only her aunt she needed to worry about. Alice was reading a magazine on the couch and she looked at Lauren as she sat down before turning back to her magazine. Alice was a strange girl in Lauren's opinion... a bit too quiet and mousy for her liking.

"Your dad said you were finishing school today? Your exams start next week?" Her uncle said.

"Yeah, a week today." She replied, pleased to be having a normal conversation.

"I hope you've been studying as much as Joey has..." he said and Lauren could hear the pride in his voice, even if she hadn't been able to see it on his face.

"I'm not sure it's possible to study as much as JoJo," Lauren said with a smile, "but yes, I've been working hard."

"So you're confident about the exams?"

"I think so..." she said. And she was... she was doing subjects she loved now and so she had found it easier to get motivated to study for them, even with the distraction of her relationship with Joey. "We'll see what happens in the summer, I guess."

Joey walked into the room, "Dinner's nearly ready. Mum wants everyone at the table..." he said, squeezing Lauren's shoulder.

*JL*JL*

The family were ten minutes into the meal and conversation had turned to the family holiday, "Your dad said you weren't coming with us this year, Lauren?" Joey's dad said.

"No, I've got to go to the hospital... the appointments are during the holiday."

"That's a shame, sweetheart."

"Actually dad," Joey said, "I wanted to stay at home as well..." he said. His parents both paused and stared at their son, "Someone needs to go with Lo to the hospital. I want to go with her... she shouldn't have to go through that on her own..."

"Joey, you're coming away with us," Lauren's aunt said, "It's a family holiday..."

"But mum..."

"No, Joey's right, darling... he should be with Lauren..." His dad said firmly.

"Thanks dad." Joey said and Lauren felt her boyfriend squeeze her leg. She glanced at her aunt and she could see the disappointed expression on her face. She wasn't so sure that Joey's mum was as understanding as his dad was. Nevertheless she was relieved to know that she wouldn't have to go to the hospital on her own now.

"So did you have a nice afternoon, son?" his dad said and something in his voice made Lauren glance at him, seeing the knowing expression on his face. Maybe he wasn't as in the dark about what they'd been doing as she'd first thought.

"Yes thanks, dad," Joey said, his thumb brushing her leg and causing her to tense. Again Lauren glanced at her aunt and saw she was watching her intently. She felt her face flush instantly and she lowered her head, very aware of her aunt and uncle watching her die of shame in front of them. If only someone would kill her now. "Lauren came round and managed to stop me stressing out about my exams..." Her boyfriend continued, hammering another nail in Lauren's coffin as she shrunk into her seat, hoping for the floor to open up and swallow her.

Alice finished eating at that moment, "Can I go up to my room?" she asked.

"Not till everyone's finished, babe..." her dad replied.

"Yes, you can, Alice." Her mum said and Alice took her mum's answer as gospel, escaping the room quickly and disappearing up the stairs. Lauren wished she could go with her. She had a feeling she was about to die. "I think we should talk about this afternoon, don't you?" her aunt said, drawing Lauren's attention back to her.

"Darling, we don't need to talk about this..."

"You are supposed to be keeping your relationship quiet."

"We are..." Joey said.

"Really?" His mum snapped, "because it didn't look like that this afternoon..."

"What did you think was going to happen, mum? We told you about our relationship..." Joey protested.

"I don't expect to see it right in front of me." His mum said.

"Darling... we've talked about this already... Leave them be..." Derek said.

"No... What do you think your sister would've thought if she'd walked in on the two of you?"

"I would think she would've had the intelligence to knock on the door first..." Joey said.

"JoJo..." Lauren said softly, reaching for his hand and squeezing it. Silence hung in the air for a minute or two as Joey and his mum regrouped... the battle far from over.

"Mum, I'm twenty years old... and we weren't doing anything apart from kissing."

"Lauren had her hand down..."

"Mum don't, okay..." Joey said heatedly.

"And I'm sure we know what you were doing before you came downstairs," his mum (accurately) accused. Lauren officially wanted to die. "Well, it stops now... You hear me... not in this house..."

"Lesley..." Derek said, his voice startling Lauren and reminding her that he was there. He turned his attention to his son and niece, seeing the barely hidden rage on his son's face. "Why don't the two of you go and get some fresh air..." he said, "Come back in half an hour or so, son." He added.

Lauren had to literally shove Joey out of the room and they made their way to the swings. "I'm so sorry, Lo..." he whispered, his swing idly moving backwards and forwards.

"It's okay, JoJo..." she told him, although she really wasn't sure it was.

"I can't believe she said all that..." he murmured and Lauren knew he was talking more to himself now than her.

They sat in silence and Lauren watched her boyfriend in concern. It started to rain but still he said nothing, "Let's go back to my house, Joe." She said softly, reaching across and squeezing his arm. They walked to her house and were soon sitting on the couch in her lounge. Lauren could tell his row with his mum was weighing heavy on his mind. He stayed at her house for hours, ignoring his mobile when it started to ring. The house phone rang and her dad answered and she heard a muffled conversation happening between her dad and (she guessed) her uncle about what had happened. Joey shifted slightly when it was just the two of them in the lounge, moving so his head was resting on her lap. His hand was on her knees and his thumb brushed the inside of her thigh. Lauren could see the tension in his shoulders; tension that she had managed to make disappear just a few hours ago but now it was back tenfold. And she thought she'd been helping him when she made the decision to do what she did. All she seemed to have done was make everything ten times worse.

TBC

**A/N: So what did you think? Joey's mum walking in at an inopportune moment, Lauren trying something new, Lauren's hospital appointment coming up and Joey's row with his mum. Quite a tense chapter all round.**

**Next chapter's guest artist will be... probably an easy one... Van Morrisson... Guess the song, go on!**


	19. Chapter 19: Brown Eyed Girl

**So last chapter of the day. Three correct guesses for song title (congratulations Eastendersfan444, popscb and chloem93). This song in one of my favourite songs and it fits this chapter so well (I think anyway). So this is a big chapter... covering a long period of time and many different events. Enjoy!**

**Chapter 19: Brown Eyed Girl.**

School and college had finally finished for both Lauren and Joey, exams taken and classes chosen for the next year. Lauren was pleased with how her exams had gone and Joey hoped to have done okay. He was going to college this afternoon for a meeting with his tutor and he had no idea what the meeting was for.

The row with his mother had kind of blown over although he noticed that Lauren avoided coming over to his house as much as she used to. She said things were okay but he knew different. He was still really angry about what his mum had said and while his dad had tried to dissipate the tension between them, the atmosphere was less than pleasant at 23 Albert Square. All in all Joey was relieved to not be going on the family holiday at the weekend.

He was looking forward to the two weeks alone with Lauren. Their camping trip had given Joey an idea of what it felt like to wake up with her in his arms every day and he was looking forward to getting to experience that again. Mostly. There was tension from Lauren as well. With her hospital appointments approaching she was getting more stressed by the day and as her family were running around preparing for the holiday, things were a little fraught in 5 Albert Square as well.

*JL*JL*

Joey sat on the swing, his mobile phone spinning in his hand. He knew Lauren was expecting him to call her and his parents... or his dad at least... would be wondering where he was. He didn't want to go home at the moment though and he needed some time to think about his meeting.

*JL*JL*

"I thought I'd find you here..." she said softly, sitting on the swing next to him. "You always come here when you're thinking about something."

"It reminds me of when we would come here as kids." He told her.

"You want to talk about it?" she asked.

"Would you be offended if I said not yet?"

"Of course not. I know you'll tell me when you're ready." They sat in silence for a little while. "Will you push me?" she asked and Joey smiled. He got to his feet and moved behind her swing, pulling her backwards, gradually pushing her higher and higher. She started to giggle much like she had done when she was very small and then she heard the sound she'd been hoping to hear, the sound of his laughter. She dragged her feet on the floor, bringing her swing to a stop and she looked at him over her shoulder. "I'd suggest the slide as well, except I don't think we'd fit anymore..." she said with a small smile. He stepped forward and put his arms over her shoulders, resting his chin on the top of her head.

"Thank you..." he whispered.

"What for?"

"Just being you..."

"You ready to talk now?" she asked, able to read him perfectly.

"I had my meeting..." he said.

She turned to face him, "How did it go?"

"I'm kind of in shock to be honest."

"I guessed that earlier... is it a good shock or bad shock?" she asked softly.

"Good, babe..." he whispered.

"Please tell me, JoJo... I think I'm going to explode if you don't tell me."

"My tutor had my results and he said I should think about changing my course selections next year. He thought I could push myself a little more. He thinks I've gone for the easy option with some of my choices."

"That's good, right?"

"I don't know, Lo... I've struggled so much this year with the course and I don't know if I can do that to myself again for another year."

"So what were your results?"

"I got the top grade in one paper and the rest of them I was in the top ten percent." He said, somewhat in awe of what he was telling her.

Lauren sprang to her feet and wrapped her arms around his neck, "I'm so proud of you, JoJo."

"I couldn't have done it without your help, Lo... you gave me the confidence to carry on when times were rough."

"Have you told your parents?" she asked him.

"No... you were the first person I wanted to tell." He whispered. "I love you, LoLo..." he breathed in her ear.

"I love you too. And I think your tutor's right... you should have more faith in yourself. I know you can do this, JoJo... you just need to believe it too."

"I certainly need to think about it a bit more... but I'm not going to make any promises, Lo."

"All I ask is that you think this through properly, Joe... If you decide it's not what you want, then that's perfectly fine with me too." She glanced at the time, "You should go home, your parents will be starting to worry about where you are."

*JL*JL*

Several days later Lauren and Joey stood outside her house as the families packed up the cars to drive to the airport. It was early in the morning but the parents had insisted that they were there to see them off.

"Call us on Monday, sweetheart and let us know how it went," her mum said as she hugged her goodbye.

"I will, mum. It's going to be fine... Joey keeps telling me so."

Tanya turned to her nephew, "Look after her, Joey, okay?"

"I will, Auntie Tanya," he said. As if there was ever any doubt that he'd look after his girl. He had all his life, hadn't he and that wasn't going to change now.

Uncle Max came over next and he hugged Lauren tightly, sharing a look with Joey. No words were said but Joey knew what he was telling him. His uncle kissed Lauren on her forehead. The couple waved as her parents drove away, Lauren's brother and sister waving back at them through the window.

Lauren squeezed Joey's hand as his mum got in the car without saying goodbye to him. Joey couldn't pretend it didn't hurt; the pain of her rejection of him was written all over his face. Derek walked over to them, hugging his son tightly as he saw the devastation on his face, "I'll talk to her, Joe..." he said softly.

"Thanks dad." He whispered.

"And you take care of each other, okay?" he said to them both.

"We will, Uncle Derek." Lauren said.

"Try and talk some sense into my boy while we're gone, please." He said as he hugged his niece. Joey was still to make a decision about what he was doing with his course and his dad really wanted him to do as his tutor had suggested and had been encouraging him ever since Joey had told them both.

"I'll see what I can do," she told him.

The horn of the car hooted and Joey looked over, seeing his mum beginning to look angry. "You'd better go, dad." His dad smiled at him, a look of sadness coming over his face for a fleeting second but disappearing as quickly as it appeared. Soon the car was driving off into the distance and Joey and Lauren were alone.

"You want to come back to mine?" Lauren said softly.

"Of course, I do." He said. She pulled him into her house and within minutes they were sleeping in her bed, his arms around her.

*JL*JL*

Monday morning arrived after a weekend spent predominantly in bed. They had talked and had sex... ate some food and had sex... watched some movies and had sex. It was the perfect weekend as far as they were both concerned. Until it got to Monday morning.

Joey had made Lauren breakfast that morning and she ate it but threw it all back up about half an hour later. She was pretty unhappy and then she had to force down what felt like a gallon of water an hour before the ultrasound which did little to improve her mood. Let's just say that by the time Lauren and Joey arrived at the hospital, both were feeling pretty miserable. Admittedly it was more Lauren than Joey, due to her very full bladder and the nerves of what she was about to face. Joey had incurred the wrath of her bad mood several times and she'd moaned about needing the loo all the way to hospital, not helped by the traffic jam they'd got stuck in on the way there. The air was a little blue in the car when the car sat still for almost five minutes.

They walked into the waiting room, hand in hand. Lauren glanced around the room and saw several other couples scattered around the room. She tried not the notice the happy people, the women with large or small rounded bellies. It was like a knife to the heart, knowing that this appointment and the one next week could mean the likelihood of that ever happening for her and Joey becoming much smaller. That thought brought a lump to her throat and she looked at Joey. He must have seen that she was upset because he put his arm around her and pulled her against his body. They sat there for some time, their appointment time coming and going. Lauren fidgeted the longer she sat in the chair, anxious to have the scan and empty her poor bladder. Finally her name was called and she got to her feet. She felt Joey stand beside her and she looked at him. He kissed her softly, squeezing her hand and walking through to the room for her first test.

*JL*JL*

They were late for the appointment for the MRI scan, due to being late for the ultrasound (and a rather lengthy pit stop at the ladies en route). Lauren was given an injection when they arrived and then it was the two of them sitting in a waiting room again.

"You won't be able to come in with me for this one, JoJo." She whispered.

"I'll be out here waiting for you when you come out, Lo." He said softly, squeezing her hand.

A nurse walked over to her and passed her a gown to change into, pointing her in the direction of a room she could change in. Joey went with her, seeing the fear in her eyes as the scan drew nearer. She started to cry as soon as they were in the room and Joey pulled her into his arms. He wasn't surprised about this breakdown, it had been on the cards ever since the night before when her mum and dad had called to wish her luck for today. He undressed her, putting the gown on her and tying it at the side so she didn't flash the hospital on the walk back to the waiting area. Her name was called about twenty minutes later and she got a little teary again before walking into the room.

*JL*JL*

Joey spent an anxious fifty minutes waiting for her to return and he was relieved when the door opened and a pale and clearly upset Lauren appeared in the doorway. "Lo?" he whispered.

"I didn't like it, JoJo." She said as he pulled her onto his lap. "I had a panic attack inside the machine and they had to stop the scan and take me back out so I could calm down then they had to start all over again." She told him.

"Did they say anything? Give you any idea what they had seen?"

"No... they weren't in the room and I don't know anything at all." She said.

"Let's go home, eh?" he said gently. She nodded and after changing back into her clothes they were soon driving back to her house.

*JL*JL*

Joey had pretty much moved into 5 Albert Square since the family had gone to Spain and it was nice that within the four walls of the house they were completely free to do whatever they wanted together. So they did. Residents of the square rarely saw them as they were content to just spend time with each other. There was a couple of times when they were nearly caught out after Uncle Jack popped over to the house to check up on Lauren but they escaped both times without Joey's presence being discovered.

As Wednesday of the second week got closer Lauren's mood had gradually descended again, the fast approaching appointment with the consultant was preying on her mind and she spent quite a lot of time in silence.

On Tuesday evening Joey and Lauren were lying on the couch. They had had a movie day, as the weather had been miserable (much like Lauren's mood) but Joey knew she was barely paying attention. She was pretty much lying on top of him, her head on his chest and his hand was running softly up and down her back, sometimes his fingers running through her hair, sometimes his hand would pause on her bum. "Do you want to talk about it?" he finally asked when he realised they hadn't spoken for almost four hours.

She shook her head, "I can't."

"Why not?"

"You'll tell me I'm being silly..."

"I doubt that... Please, Lo... I'm worried about you..."

"I'm just worrying about tomorrow. I keep thinking about what he might tell us and how that will affect us... our relationship."

Joey tilted her chin so she had to look up at him, "There is nothing he can say that will affect our relationship, LoLo." He told her, "Not in a bad way, anyway. I've told you this already... why are you still thinking like this?"

"I did say you'd think I was being silly..." she whispered.

"I'm not saying that at all, babe." He said. "I just wish you'd have faith in us... in me. I know we can get through this... and our parents will be there for us too..." He kissed her forehead, "well, three of them anyway," he added as an afterthought. Things between him and his mum were still frosty and he thought it was unlikely that was going to change anytime soon. And she seemed to disapprove of his relationship with Lauren now and he couldn't understand why.

"She'll come round, JoJo..." she told him softly.

"I hope so..." He smiled at her, "So are you going to stop over thinking things and let me make love to you...?"

"I'm not sure I want to move..." she whispered, "I'm comfy here..." she said, snuggling into him further. Her hand was under his T-shirt, her thumb stroking his six-pack and Joey had to admit he was comfortable too but he wanted to make love to her more than he wanted to stay where they were.

He smirked at her, "Who said we were going to move anywhere?"

"Here...? On the sofa?"

"Why not?" he whispered. "No one's going to walk in and catch us."

"Do you have something?" she asked.

"My pocket..." he admitted with a smirk.

"Planning on getting lucky were you?" she asked, grinning at him widely as she sat up and pressed herself against his groin, being reminded once again just how lucky she was.

"Not planning on it but maybe hoping..." he told her, "and you know what they say... it's best to be prepared..."

"You were never a scout, JoJo... You got thrown out of the cubs!" she said, giggling as she remembered the evening his mum brought him to their house on the way to taking him to the cubs. He had been wearing his Cub Scout uniform and he'd looked all smart and proud of himself. He'd only been eight at the time and it was only his second week there and it would turn out to be his last week too after he and one of his friends had let off a stink bomb in the Akela's car and one in the scout hut. And that was the end of his Scouting career. He had been made to clean the scout hut and Akela's car (inside and out) the following weekend and his dad had slapped his ass so hard he literally hadn't been able to sit down for a full day. Lauren still found this all very amusing more than twelve years later.

"It doesn't mean I don't like to live by their morals, babe." He said, pleased to see the smile lighting up her face. It had been missing for two days now.

She smiled at him and slipped her hand into his pocket, hearing him groan as she shifted on his erection. Her smile grew when she pulled out not one but three foil squares. "Someone was being very prepared..." she whispered as she leant down and kissed him tenderly.

"How do you want this?" he asked her softly, already wishing he was buried deep inside her because he needed her really badly.

"Hard and fast..." she said, closing her eyes as she rubbed herself against him again. They both moaned as the friction of their clothing added to the arousal that had built.

Joey thrust his hips up and Lauren moaned, her fingers clenching the front of his T-shirt as he pressed against her, increasing her desire. "You need to move, babe... because we're wearing too many clothes if we're going to do this..."

Lauren really didn't want to move but she could see he had a valid point. She shifted off him, making sure she rubbed against him again (just to prove a point and maybe to make him suffer a little more) and she moved to the end of the sofa, watching his face as she began to strip. She didn't have to stand up to do this.

Joey was lying there watching her, his arousal increasing as he saw the desire on her face. She was down to her underwear before he moved, suddenly realising he was lagging behind her and if he wanted to be inside her, he needed to catch up pretty damn quick. He jumped up from the sofa and did one of the fastest stripteases on record, turning back to find Lauren lying where he had just been, staring at him, a wanton expression on her face. "I thought you might want to take these off me..." she whispered, lying before him in just her underwear. It wasn't even anything special, a simple white bra and knickers and yet it was the innocence of it that made it all the more erotic in Joey's opinion. Joey walked back to the couch. "And then I can put this on you..." she added, holding up one foil square as if it was a treasured possession.

He knelt above her body, gazing down at her and watching as her eyes ran down his body. There was something about the way she looked at him that made him feel a thousand times sexier than any other girl ever had... not that he really thought of himself as sexy (because that's just a bit weird). He slid his hand beneath her and unfastened her bra. Resting his upper body weight on one hand, lying to the side of her neck he slowly peeled the straps down her arms and then pulled away and dropped the underwear on the floor. As was usually the case, his focus was immediately on what he'd just revealed. He lowered his head and kissed the base of her neck so gently Lauren almost thought she'd imagined it. "You are so beautiful..." he breathed against her skin, the sound of his voice and feel of his breath making her shiver.

"JoJo... get a move on..." she moaned, "I need you... now!"

He chuckled and moved so he was lying beside her, his back leaning against the back of the sofa. His right hand drifted over her body, cupping a breast briefly before continuing its path down towards her remaining underwear. A finger slipped under the elastic of her knickers and brushed across the skin beneath, Lauren's hips shifting upwards as she inhaled her breath. He kissed the side of her face, his fingers inched lower as he did so until he reached her clit. "I'm going to touch you now, LoLo..." he breathed in her ear, "I'm going to make you scream my name so loud that your parents will be able to hear." He whispered. She giggled softly but he heard the catch in her breath at what he'd said. His fingers stroked her gently, finding her already very turned on. She tried to touch his cock but he pulled his hand away from her quickly, "No, babe... this is about you... this is about me making you come just from my hand touching you; nothing else... no other stimulation... just me and you." She turned her head slightly and stared at his face, her cheeks slightly flushed and she was biting her lip. His fingers moved back to her opening and again her hips shifted as he brushed the tips of his fingers over her. "Do you like that, Lo?" he asked. She nodded and his fingers froze. He stared at her intently.

"Yes JoJo... I like it when you touch me like that..." she whispered.

He smiled and kissed her softly, his fingers moving again. "Let's see how you like this then, LoLo..." he whispered as he pushed one finger inside her. She moaned softly. "Tell me how that feels..." he breathed.

"It's good, JoJo..." she murmured, lifting her head to kiss him softly.

He smiled at her and shook his head slightly, "Remember, baby... just my hand... nothing else." She pouted at him and he couldn't stop himself from kissing her; rules be damned. "What about we try another finger?" he whispered as he pulled his mouth from hers. She nodded and he quirked his eyebrow at her, his hand once again stopping.

"Please, Joey..." she whispered, desperation pouring from her whole body.

"Good girl..." he told her softly, pushing a second finger inside her and hearing her moan. "Does that feel better?" he asked, already knowing the answer but finding that the sound of her voice was turning him on just as much as her hand would've done.

"It feels nice..." she breathed, "Your fingers feel so warm inside me, JoJo..." she sighed.

"I am the human hot water bottle, babe..." he said and she giggled at him.

He continued to stroke her, her legs sagging open so he had better access to her. "Want more..." she whispered and it was the first time she'd asked without him prompting her. Her reward was another kiss from him as he pushed a third finger into her welcoming body. He pressed his fingers against her inner wall and heard her breath hitch. She definitely liked that.

"You liked that, didn't you Lo?" he asked, his own voice was affected by what he was doing to her and sounding more gravelly than normal.

"I did, JoJo... do it again..." she begged. "Please..."

He smiled and did it again; his fingertips brushing over and over the same spot that seemed to affect her so deeply. The impact of what he was doing to her was quick, her body shaking and her eyes shutting as she moaned his name. He watched her as her hips shifted against his hand, trying to increase the pressure he was touching her with but not quite succeeding. "What do you want me to do now, Lo?" he breathed in her ear.

"More..." she almost sobbed.

"Another finger?" he asked.

"Mmm hmm..."

He kissed her temple and added his little finger to the mix. She made a tiny sound in the back of her throat and it took him a few seconds to realise she wasn't in pain... it was pure unadulterated pleasure that she was feeling. Her body was on the edge of release now, "Are you close now, LoLo?" he breathed.

"So close..." she whimpered.

"Don't forget to scream..."

"Mmm hmm..."

"What is it you've got to say...?"

"JoJo..." she sighed, her eyes opening and staring into his. There was so much desire hidden in those beautiful brown eyes and he wished he could take a picture of her face as it looked now so she could see what he was seeing. Maybe then she would believe how amazing she looked. But he didn't have a camera handy and he was pretty sure Lauren would hit him if he'd tried anyway.

He turned his attention back to his girlfriend, knowing he needed to give her some much sought after relief soon or this would've all been for nothing. "Do you want me to touch your clit?" he asked her. She nodded and his hand stopped moving, a moan falling from her lips.

"So much, Joe... please touch me there... make me come... make me scream your name..." she said softly, her eyes locked on his, burning with a fire she rarely showed him.

"Whatever my beautiful girl wants..." he said softly. His thumb circled her clit, slowly moving closer to its final destination. He started a mental countdown in his head, his thumb edging nearer with each decrease of number. 5... 4... 3... 2... 1...

"JJJJJJJJJJOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJ JJOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" she screamed as his thumb pressed hard against her clit, her body squeezing his fingers as he moved them in and out of her, brushing repeatedly past that secret spot inside her. She could barely breathe and after her initial scream she murmured his name over and over, her voice hoarse and ever so sexy.

"I love you, LoLo..." he breathed in her ear, kissing her tenderly as he continued to stroke her while her peak faded.

"Kiss me, Joe..." she murmured, turning her head towards his. He did as she asked, not holding back now she'd done as he'd asked her to. He pulled his hand from her, grazing his fingertips against her clit as he moved them from her knickers.

"We can wait a while, babe... before we do anymore..."

"I don't want to wait..." she said, smiling at him as her face turned pink, "I want your lovely thick cock inside me. I want to come again around you and for you to come as well." She moved her hand and stroked it up and down his length, "It would be such a shame to waste this, JoJo..." she murmured as she kissed his jaw. "Don't you agree?" There was a light in her eyes and he knew she had no doubt he was going to agree with her.

"Okay, you've convinced me," he said with a chuckle that promptly disappeared when she tore open a condom and rolled it onto him at breakneck speed. It seemed his girl was a little desperate... He moved from where he lay and knelt at her feet once she was done and he saw the disappointment on her face at not being able to touch him. Reaching up to her hips he tugged her knickers down her feet and off her legs. His eyes focused on her opening, seeing the dampness that was there from when she'd just come. He pushed his fingers inside her again and her hips shifted as she moaned softly. He moved his hand back to his length and stroked it firmly, wiping her juices on himself. He took an ankle in his hand and kissed her ankle bone gently. Pulling on her leg and tugging her down the sofa so she was closer to him. He pushed both of her knees up to her chest and placed the tip of his cock at her entrance, "You ready, Lo?" he whispered. She nodded and he just stared at her. It took her several seconds to work out why he hadn't moved.

"Please, JoJo..."

"Hard and fast, wasn't it?" he said, checking to make sure she still wanted the same thing.

"Please..."

He plunged into her even as she was still asking and they both groaned. She was so tight on him Joey knew it wouldn't be long until he came, although he could tell she was pretty close as well. He moved slowly at first, just making sure she wasn't in any pain but soon his hips were rapidly thrusting his cock in and out of her body. She was moving beneath him, her hips rocking against his and every time he slid back inside she moaned in the back of her throat. She pulled her legs further up to her chest, opening them wider so he could still see those gorgeous tits of hers and he had to kiss one. It was far too enticing. He took one peak into his mouth, sucking on it hard. Her fingers wove into his hair, holding his head in place and scratching the surface of his scalp. He lifted his mouth away from her skin and looked up into her eyes. She was watching him intently. "What do you need, Lo?" he asked her softly.

"Touch my clit..." she moaned, her head rolling back. He moved a hand between their bodies and pressed on her nub, her back arching up off the couch, pressing her nipple back into his mouth (not that he minded). "Faster, JoJo..." she murmured and it spurred him on, his hips pushing into her harder and deeper. His thrusts pushing her a little further up the couch each time. He took one of her legs and placed her calf on his shoulder, managing to change the angle he was entering her body and brushing against her inner wall. It was all she needed and she came again, screaming his name. He didn't slow down, he was so close... just a little bit more and he'd be coming as well. "JoJo..." she murmured, her hand brushing the side of his face and bringing his attention back to her. "I need to move..." she said. He stopped his movements, his groin pressed against hers.

"Where to?"

"I don't know, JoJo... I just need to move." He started to pull out of her until she growled at him, "Don't you dare...!" She wrapped her arms around his neck, her legs having moved to his waist when he'd started to move away from her. He got to his feet on somewhat shaky legs and quickly slammed her back against the door to the room. His pace was a slower now but each time he slid inside she gasped his name. Her feet weren't even touching the floor, his body was the only thing keeping her in place. "Come inside me, Joe..." she whispered to him, her mouth kissing softly along his jaw, nipping at the skin intermittently. "Can you feel how close I am to coming again?" she asked, her voice so soft he could barely hear her over the sound of blood rushing in his ears. "I've had three orgasms, JoJo... and still you haven't come... I know you're close though and I want you to come... I want you to cry out my name as your gorgeous cock throbs inside me and makes me come again... because I know you can, Joe... you just have to look at me and I want to come. You make me feel like the most beautiful girl in the world every time you look into my eyes." She paused and looked directly at him, "Look into my eyes and come..." she whispered. The sound of her voice and the words she'd said shoved him over the precipice, his hips stilling as he came apart, the sound of her name filling the room again and again as his orgasm tore through his body. He rested his forehead against hers, still looking into her eyes and felt her tighten on him again, the whispering of his name as beautiful a sound as it had been when she'd screamed it. He was spent and he sagged against her, their locked gazes breaking apart as he fought the urge to collapse on the floor. He took a couple of steps backwards and staggered into the armchair, Lauren sitting on his lap as he kept a tight grip on her. He wasn't ready to leave her body yet... he didn't want to stop experiencing what it felt like to be buried inside her until he absolutely had to. "Thank you, JoJo..." she whispered, her voice barely a murmur. He wasn't sure what she was thanking him for but she answered that question without him even asking it, "For taking my mind off tomorrow... That was just what I needed."

"The pleasure was definitely all mine, Lo..." he said. "And yours..." he said.

*JL*JL*

Lauren's good mood lasted for the rest of the night and there was more sex when they went to bed later that night. Like he had planned, Lauren slept well that night and it wasn't until she woke up the next morning that the tension he'd eradicated the previous night returned full force. He didn't take offence when she snapped his head off but held her in his arms as she then burst into tears. He was glad that the appointment was early in the morning so neither of them had to wait too long before they knew the outcome of her scans.

Her grip on his hand was tight as they sat in the waiting room but at least this time they weren't surrounded by couples who were expecting babies because Joey knew it had upset Lauren last time as it felt like rubbing salt in red raw wound.

Her name was called and the pair walked into the consultant's office, dreading what the next few minutes might reveal but desperate to know as well.

*JL*JL*

Joey and Lauren walked out of the hospital and back to Joey's car. They sat there for several seconds and Joey looked at Lauren. He pushed back his seat and pulled her over so she was sitting on his lap. Her head buried in his neck and he felt her body start to shake in his arms. "Sshh, LoLo..." he whispered to her softly. He fished his phone out of his pocket and dialled his uncle. It was answered on the first ring and he held it out to his girlfriend.

"Daddy..." she whispered. He didn't hear what her dad said but he could hear enough to hear the concern in his voice when he heard his daughter crying. "There wasn't anything on the scans, dad." She told him. She paused as her dad said something, "I guess I worked myself up into such a state about it and it was a relief to hear him say there was nothing wrong." She glanced at Joey, "I've got to go back again in six months but he essentially said he doesn't see it being a problem. He wants to see me for the next eighteen months just to keep an eye on things and then that's it. And he said that if I get pains like I was having before I should book an appointment for a scan immediately. He thinks the large cyst he removed had been forming for years, probably since I was twelve and started my periods." Joey brushed his hand down her back as more tears fell down her face. "Hi mum..." she said softly, her dad had obviously passed his mobile over to Tanya. She told her mum exactly what she'd just told her dad. She went quiet for almost two minutes, "Mum, don't blame yourself... you weren't to know, were you. It's just one of those things." She went quiet again, "Hi dad... yeah okay. Is she okay?" She rested her head on Joey's shoulder and he kissed her hair. "I'll call you tomorrow... look after mum for me, dad..." she said softly. "I love you too..." She ended the call and gave Joey his mobile back.

"What's wrong with your mum...?" he asked her.

"She's blaming herself... she thinks she should've taken me to the doctors when I first started getting the pains but we all thought it was just bad period pains." She wiped away some of her tears, "She kept apologising to me and then broke down in tears..." she told him.

"Like mother like daughter," he whispered to her softly.

She smiled, "Yeah, I guess." She leant against his shoulder, "Thanks for being with me today, JoJo... I'd have been a complete mess if you hadn't been here."

"I wouldn't have been anywhere else, Lo, you know that." He kissed her. "How about we go and do something nice for the rest of the day."

"Did you have anything in mind?" she asked with a knowing smile.

"Maybe..."

She shifted back over to the passenger side of the car and Joey slid his seat forward again, starting the engine and driving back to Walford. They walked into the house and Joey ushered her into the lounge and then went into the kitchen. He made them something to eat as neither of them had eaten much for breakfast. Lauren came into the kitchen when he called her in and she smiled when she saw two plates with omelettes sitting on them. "So it was just feeding me up you had planned, was it?" She asked as she started to eat.

"Nope." He said with a smile. "But I thought maybe we could go on a date later..." he told her, "and then back here and maybe we could have an early night." She smiled when she saw his cheeks redden slightly.

"So what did you want to do on this date?" she asked innocently.

"We could go and see a movie, if you'd like... unless there's something else you'd like to do?"

"No, a movie sounds good." She said. They ate the rest of the meal in silence and then Lauren washed up the dishes while Joey wiped up. She yawned as she watched him finish putting the plates and things away.

"You look like you're about ready for an early night." He teased her.

"Yeah, well someone wore me out last night..." she said, wrapping her arms around his waist and hugging him tightly, "and I guess I haven't been sleeping very well, worrying about everything." She said.

"Did you want to talk about the other stuff we spoke to the consultant about?"

"The egg freezing thing?" she asked. He nodded. "Maybe in a few days... I'd like to talk to our parents about it too, I think. When they're home. Is that okay?"

"Of course it is, LoLo." She tilted her head back and kissed him tenderly. "Maybe we could look at the leaflets he gave us before they come home." He said.

"Yeah, that would be good." She murmured. "It's kind of scary isn't it?" she whispered. "Thinking about this now..."

"It's not something we have to rush into. Your test results were good today so there's no urgency... this is just something to think about, in case something happens in the future." He brushed her hair back from her face and tucked it behind her ear, "It doesn't have to be scary... we just need to talk about it and decide if we want to take this step."

*JL*JL*

"Are you going to make a decision about college?" Lauren said softly as they lay in bed that night. It had been a nice evening but she didn't want to cause an argument by forcing him to make a choice.

"I've been thinking about it." He said. He had one hand behind his head and Lauren draped across his body. They had had a lovely date at the cinema, following by a bath together and some very good sex and now they were talking about things. "I think I'm going to change to the other courses... the ones my tutor suggested. I can always change back to the other ones if they're too difficult."

"I think you're making the right decision, JoJo... And I'll do anything I can to help you, you know that."

"You mean like you helped me to relax just before our exams?"

He watched her face redden, "Maybe." She whispered. "Your parents are going to be really pleased about your college course."

"I hope so."

Lauren lifted her head off his chest and looked at him, "You should talk to your mum as well, Joe. Clear the air with her."

"It sounds like we're going to be having a lot of discussions with our parents over the next weeks."

"It does, doesn't it?" She said. "Soon we'll be able to tell everyone about us too."

"I know... I can't wait to be able to kiss you in public, to hold your hand and not have to wonder about what people will think."

Lauren smiled at her boyfriend the romantic. "What would I do without you, JoJo...?"

"I don't even want to think about it, babe."

"Me either..."

*JL*JL*

Two weeks later the families had returned from Spain and Joey had finally cleared the air with his mum, to Lauren's relief. Her aunt was being more normal around her as well so Lauren didn't mind going over to Joey's house quite as much as she had before. Her aunt and uncle were so pleased that Joey had made the decision to change his courses at college... it was all either of them had talked about for days. Joey had gone to speak to his tutor and had managed to switch the classes. Lauren had also got her exam results and she'd done well too. The two weeks had flown by and had been filled with many highs. Lauren was hopeful this meant things were on an upward path for the Branning family.

There was just one thing they hadn't mentioned yet. The future baby. Joey and Lauren had now discussed it; had done some research, reading the leaflets and looking online. They'd even spoken to the consultant and had been referred to a counsellor to talk about it. They had come to a decision and were at a point where they knew what they wanted to do. They now just needed to speak to their parents about it and get their support. It wasn't like they were planning on having children tomorrow... this was all a backup plan on the chance something ever happened to Lauren's one remaining ovary. The counsellor, who specialised in talking to couples with fertility issues, had said there were two options open to them. They could either just freeze Lauren's eggs or they could fertilise some of Lauren's eggs with Joey's sperm and freeze the embryos. After talking it through Lauren and Joey had agreed that the frozen embryo's was the route they were planning on taking.

Oscar and Abi were both going to stay with Lauren's Nan tomorrow night so Lauren and Joey had decided to speak to the parents about their plans, in a situation reminiscent of when they'd spoken to them about the fact they were in a relationship together. Lauren went to bed with a smile on her face, looking forward to the next day.

TBC

**A/N: Well there was quite a lot to that chapter wasn't there? And of course, I had to get the required sofa sex into the story... it would be wrong for it to not be there. But everything is all right not isn't it? Lauren went to bed with a smile on her face... Something to wipe any smiles off your faces - there are only four chapters left! Sorry!**

**Next chapter's guest artist will be... Christina Aguilera... Guess the song - you know you want to.**


	20. Chapter 20: Hurt

**I'm obviously getting much less predictable because there were no right guesses for the chapter title (so well done me!).**

**Well I promised drama and it begins here. You might need tissues...Sorry!**

**Chapter 20: Hurt.**

It's never a good thing when the telephone rings early in the morning. So when the phone at number 5 Albert Square rang at half six in the morning the next day Lauren woke with a start, her heart racing. She knew there was something most definitely wrong. She listened intently as she heard her dad answer the phone, the sound of his voice carrying to her room but not the words he was saying. Then there was the sound of footsteps coming out of her parent's room and Lauren was instantly alert. The door to her room opened quietly and her dad's head appeared, "Get dressed, babe." He said, not surprised to see her awake.

"What's going on, dad?" she asked as she scrambled from her bed. She glanced at the door again but he'd already gone. Five minutes later she was moving downstairs, finding her dad waiting for her near the front door. "Dad...?" she whispered. She looked at his face and she could see something was seriously wrong. She couldn't remember a time when she'd seen him this upset... he somehow managed to look worse than after he and her mum had split up and he'd moved away from the square. He held his hand out towards her and she took it, slipping her feet into her boots. His hand tightened on hers and she began to get scared. He opened the front door, "Where are we going, dad?"

"Joey's..." he whispered as they walked down the stairs.

Lauren looked at him, pausing as she wondered why they were going to Joey's at this time in the morning. Her heart beat a little faster as fear washed through her. Her dad pulled her again towards the house and as they got closer Lauren saw an ambulance pull up outside. Her mouth ran dry and her need to get to the house and find out what the hell was going on intensified. The paramedics were in the house by the time Lauren and her dad got to the front door. Lauren saw Joey sitting on the stairs and while she was relieved he was okay... she knew something awful had happened. "JoJo?" she whispered, walking towards him. He glanced up at her and she was shocked by the look on his face. She reached for him and pulled him against her chest, her arms cradling his head as her fingers brushed through his hair and caressed the top of his back. She felt him start to cry against her and she kissed the top of his head softly. "Talk to me, JoJo..." she whispered into his hair.

"It's dad..." he sobbed, "I think he's dead..."

Lauren clung to him a little tighter, feeling him cry harder. "Do you know what happened?" she asked him softly.

He shook his head, "I came down to go for my morning run, like normal... and I heard the TV on in the lounge. When I walked in there he was sitting on the couch. I spoke to him but he didn't say anything. I assumed he was asleep but he was holding a glass of whisky so I went to take it out of his hand and I realised he wasn't breathing." His words were quiet but Lauren could see how each one was tearing at his heart. "I started CPR and shouted for mum to come downstairs and she called an ambulance and then your dad..." He looked up at her face and she could see the devastation written over it, "He's gone, LoLo... I think he's been dead for hours."

"You don't know that Joe... they might be able to do something..." she said, although she knew he was probably right. Her dad had gone to the lounge, standing in the doorway with Joey's mum while Lauren stayed with Joey. She could see that her dad was watching what Lauren now knew to be the paramedics working on her uncle. Her dad glanced towards her and she saw his face and she knew. "Why don't we go up to your room, JoJo?" she said softly, turning her attention back to Joey.

"I want to stay here..." he said. He pulled away from her, staring up at her face, "I need to know if he's going to be okay."

"Joe..." Lauren murmured, her hand rising and stroking the side of his cheek tenderly, "He's gone, JoJo..." she whispered.

"How do you know that?" he asked her harshly, pushing her away and getting to his feet.

She grabbed his hand and tugged her back towards him. "Dad told me, Joe..." He stopped, quirking an eyebrow at her, "A minute ago... He looked at me and his face said it all..."

"I want to see him..." he said, turning to walk away from her again.

"Don't do this to yourself, Joe, please..." she begged him, trying to pull him back towards her.

He yanked his hand from hers and walked to the lounge, going through into the room even though Lauren's dad tried to stop him, "Joey..." His mum said, reaching for him as he moved past her, only for him to shake her hand off.

Lauren went to stand beside her dad and peeked through the door, seeing the paramedics working to try and revive her uncle. Joey was stood about a foot from where his dad lay and Lauren's attention quickly turned to him. She saw him tense and glanced at the paramedics. They had turned towards the doorway and one of them shook his head. Lauren's dad hugged her aunt when she began to cry as she absorbed what had happened.

"Time of death, 7.12am..." one of the paramedics said softly, starting to pack away the equipment they'd been using.

Lauren's focus turned to Joey again. His shoulders had sagged since the paramedic had spoke and she just wanted to go to him so she could hug him, kiss him and help ease his pain. The problem was she wasn't sure what sort of reception she would get. He seemed locked up in his anxiety and she didn't think she would be any good at helping him through that.

The paramedics were gone within twenty minutes, having spoken briefly to the two elder Branning's as they left the room. Lauren continued to watch Joey, he was now sitting beside his dad's body and her heart broke as she saw him reach for his hand and grasp it in both his own. His mum started to cry and fled the room, followed by Lauren's dad leaving the two youngsters alone with the body. Lauren walked tentatively over to where Joey was sat, sitting on the couch behind him and wrapping her arms around his neck. She kissed the back of his head tenderly, her hands brushing his chest as she pulled him back against her. "JoJo..." she whispered, feeling him sag against her once more. He turned towards her, one hand still gripping his dad's and let Lauren hug him tightly, the tears once more being released. They both heard the sound of crying start upstairs and knew Alice had just been told about her daddy. Hearing his sister's response made Joey worse, if that was at all possible and Lauren started to talk to him softly, trying to calm him down.

*JL*JL*

There was a knock at the door roughly half an hour later and Lauren went to answer it, knowing that everyone else was too caught up in their grief to do so. She opened the door and found two men who introduced themselves and explained they had come to collect the body. Lauren wasn't sure what she was supposed to do but she led them into the lounge. "Joe... these men are here to take your dad." She told him softly, crouching beside him.

"No..."

"Joe, they need to do this..." she whispered, "You need to let him go now..." she added. He shook his head, "Baby... you don't want Alice to come down here and see him like this, do you?" she asked, knowing she needed to appeal to the protective brother side of him if he was going to let the men do their jobs. He paused and looked at her. Resignation washed over his face as he turned back to his dad. He reached forward and brushed some of his hair back from his face then leant forward and kissed him on the forehead. Lauren helped Joey to his feet and the two men walked over and began to do what they needed to do. "I'm just gonna find my dad, baby..." Lauren whispered to Joey, squeezing his hand tightly before releasing it. She walked out of the room and up the stairs, finding her dad on the landing, "Dad, some men are here to take away Uncle Derek. Do you need to speak to them at all? Or Auntie Lesley?"

"I'll come down, babe." He said, "How's Joey?" he asked before they moved. Lauren shrugged. "You just need to be there for him, babe." He told her.

"I know... I'm just not sure he's going to let me, dad."

"He will... he's just in shock right now."

"Have you told Uncle Jack and Auntie Carol?" she asked.

"I'll call them in a minute..." He said. He walked down the stairs behind his daughter, both stopping as they saw the men wheeling Derek's body into the hall. Max went to speak to them to get the details of where they were taking him and who to call to make funeral arrangements.

*JL*JL*

Lauren moved into the lounge again once more and found Joey stood in the same place as where she'd left him. She wrapped her arms around his waist and pressed her face into his chest, slightly disheartened when he didn't react at all. She stepped away from him and pushed him down into an armchair, climbing onto his lap and hugging him tightly. She wasn't sure how long they sat like that for. He didn't speak at all but gradually as time passed his arms moved around her and he hugged her back... not letting go of her, not that she wanted him to.

Lauren was aware of the door to the room closing, giving them both some privacy. She also heard the front door being opened and what sounded like her aunt, uncle and mum arriving at the house. None of them came into the lounge and she knew her dad was trying to protect Joey from everyone's scrutiny.

*JL*JL*

"I feel guilty..."

His voice startled her and she pulled away from him slightly so she could see his face, "About what?" she asked softly.

"I didn't spend enough time with him... I should've spent more time with him." She could hear the self loathing in his voice. "I should've gone away with them this summer." He added.

"Your dad was okay with us staying home... he knew you needed to be here, Joe." She whispered, not liking the direction this conversation was heading in.

"Well I wish I'd gone away with him now." He said firmly and Lauren slipped off his lap, taking several steps away from him, his words hurting her in a way he never had before.

"You don't mean that..." she whispered.

"I do." He said firmly.

"So you think this is my fault?" she asked him, already knowing his answer but needing to hear him say the words. "You're blaming me for you staying at home, rather than go away with them all?" she said again and he didn't deny it. "Tell me, Joseph... Don't hold back now..." she snapped.

"Yes... Yes, I do, okay!" he said, staring into her eyes as he practically growled at her.

Usually hearing him talk in that tone would turn her on but now it felt like a little bit of her was dying inside... an ever increasing bit of her being ripped to shreds. She pivoted away from him and strode across the room to the door, "When you've thought about what you've just said and realised what a load of crap it is, I'll be at home." She murmured. She opened the door and walked into the hallway. She glanced into the kitchen and saw the family all gathered there, discussing softly what had happened.

Her dad looked at her and frowned when he saw she was upset. He moved to her and lifted her chin. "What's wrong?" he asked softly.

"He blames me..." she admitted, "Says it's my fault we stayed here instead of going away with you all." Her dad kissed her forehead softly. "Can I go home? I'm exhausted and I don't want to be here anymore..." she told him. "And I don't think Joe wants me here anyway."

He reached in his pocket and pulled out his keys, passing them to her. "Your nan is picking up Oscar and Abi from school and taking them to hers." He told her. "We'll be here for a while longer then we'll come home, okay?" he asked. She nodded, "Do you want me to talk to him?" he asked her.

She shook her head this time, "He needs to realise on his own, dad. I know it's partly the grief talking but he was cruel and he needs to work that out on his own... not have someone tell him." She whispered. Tears were welling in her eyes now and she was desperate to get out of the house before she completely collapsed. "I'll see you later, daddy." She said softly, almost running for the door.

*JL*JL*

Lauren was lying curled up in her bed a couple of hours later. She had hoped she would be able to sleep once she was back in her bed but it had evaded her so far and she wasn't hopeful for that situation changing any time soon. Pretty much all she'd done since she'd returned to the house and the safe haven of her room was cry. Crying for the loss of her uncle; the generally shitty way it had happened and the altogether crappy way her boyfriend had treated her. She was now exhausted but despite that, she couldn't sleep. Her eyes kept being drawn to the card Joey had given her for her birthday, the card she had loved and meant a great deal to her... but now when she looked at it all she felt was pain. He had torn her heart out with his callous words. Her finger of her right hand traced the infinity symbol on her bracelet, trying to hold out some hope that everything hadn't just been ruined. She thought, not for the first time since returning to the house about what they had planned to do today. The discussion with the parents about their future plans about a baby and the decision they'd made regarding her fertility and freezing embryos. Obviously because of the events of today that talk was now on hold... and given the way Joey had spoke to her she wasn't sure it was ever going to be up for discussion. And the thought of that shattered her heart even further. Of course then she felt guilty for being selfish, thinking of herself when the situation they were all in was so much bigger than the mere possibility of her maybe or maybe not having a child. She closed her eyes and tried once again to will herself to sleep.

*JL*JL*

Lauren was still awake when the door to her room opened almost two hours later but she stayed where she was. She had a sneaky feeling she knew who it was who'd come to see her and it certainly wasn't going to be her that spoke first.

She didn't have to wait long for the person to say something, "Sorry LoLo..." he whispered.

She was right, it was him. Of course it was him... she'd known that as soon as she heard the door open. He had come over to see her and say he was sorry. "What exactly is it you're apologising for?" she whispered.

"The things I said to you. I don't blame you... for anything."

"It sounded like you meant it, Joe."

"I know it did... and I'm really sorry. I just... I wish there was something I could've done for my dad. I don't want him to be gone... how are we going to cope without him there? I don't want to be the man of the house... I want my dad there. I want... I want my dad back, LoLo."

She'd rolled over to look at him as he spoke, hearing the despair in his voice and she reached for his hand, "I know, JoJo... and I wish I could give him back to you." As easily as that all was forgiven... she hadn't ever really been angry with him... it was more the disappointment at what he'd said that had hurt her and she knew, in her heart, he hadn't meant anything he'd said to her. She squeezed his hand and pulled on it slightly. He lay down beside her on the bed and she pulled him into her arms and against her body. Her fingers ran through his hair. "How are your mum and sister?" she asked him softly.

He shrugged his shoulders slightly, "Al was sleeping when I came over here. Mum's still with your dad and Uncle Jack. Your mum and Auntie Carol have gone to stock up on food for us and sort out some things or something."

"You should get some sleep, babe..." she whispered to him softly.

"I can't..." he murmured.

"What do you want to do?"

"Just be here with you," he whispered. They lay in silence for some time, Joey's head resting on her chest as she continued to brush her fingers through his hair. "You remember how I taught you to ride your bike?" he murmured.

"Yeah... still have a scar on my knee to show for it..." she said with a soft smile.

"I remember my dad doing the same thing with me," He told her, "you were probably only a baby at the time. I was about four, the same age you were when I showed you." Lauren felt him smile against her body and she pressed a kiss to the top of his head, "Dad and I had gone out the weekend before to choose a bike... there were loads of them in the shop and he said I could choose whichever one I wanted. I chose a Spiderman one because Spiderman was cool and I wanted to be just like him. Dad picked it up from the shop during the week and then on the Saturday he said he was going to teach me to ride it." He tilted his head so he could see her face, "He put the stabilisers on the bike and then he did what I did with you, showing me about the steering and the brakes and everything. He started me off riding the bike and it was okay. I picked it up pretty quickly and dad said I was doing really well. He took me to the cafe for lunch and I remember thinking that I was having a great time with him. After we'd eaten we went back to the bike and dad said he thought I was ready for him to take the stabilisers off. It didn't take him long to do that but I was nervous this time when I climbed onto it. He held the back of the saddle as I began to pedal and as I got faster he was jogging beside my bike to keep up with me. I was so excited, pleased that I was doing it and then I realised he'd let go of the bike and I was actually doing it all on my own." His voice had fallen to a whisper as he spoke and Lauren could hear the emotion in each word. "I stopped the bike and turned to look at him and he had such a huge smile on his face. He was so proud of me. He told me as much when I rode my bike back to him. He said I hadn't even seemed that scared and I was a big brave boy. He said I was a proper Branning boy... just like my daddy." He stopped suddenly at the last word and Lauren felt the tension increase in his body, "I want my daddy back, LoLo... I miss him so much already." He whispered hoarsely.

"I know you do, Joe..." she told him softly, her hand brushing up and down his back. "Tell me about other things you did with him..." she said.

"When I was five he sat me down and we watched Star Wars. It was the first time I'd seen the film but dad said it was a rite of passage and every little boy should watch it. He told me that the first time he'd seen it he'd watched it with your dad and Uncle Jack. He had some money he'd earned from the job he had and had taken his brothers to watch the film as a treat... because Granddad Jim was having a bad day, he said... We watched it together and I was riveted to it... I thought it was amazing. I wanted to be Luke Skywalker but dad said the best character was Han Solo... because he got the girl. I didn't know what that meant at the time but when we watched the next two Star Wars films I knew he was right."

"I never realised you'd do things with him, Joe." She said softly.

"We used to a lot when I was really young... mum told me once that I was the apple of his eye."

"When did that change?"

Joey looked at her and she saw the pain in his eyes, "When you were born..." he whispered. Lauren inhaled sharply, the sting of tears burning her eyes. Did he blame her for that too? He saw the look on her face and he kissed her softly, "It only changed because dad got a new job and was working longer hours... and me and mum spent so much time at your house. Her and your mum are close, babe, you know that." He told her. "I still got to spend some time with him... but it wasn't as often. It just made the times we were together more special though, you know?" He smiled at her, "Things changed even more when Alice was born anyway. She was always a daddy's girl and now he had to make time for two children." He's quiet for a couple of minutes, "Do you know what the best thing he ever did for me was?"

"No..." she murmured.

"He brought you up to Nottingham for the week during the Easter holidays. I was missing you so much since we'd moved and I was really upset that I wasn't able to be there for your birthday."

"He came over to our house when he came home the weekend before when he'd visited you. Dad had invited him over for dinner and their talking turned to how the three of you were... and your Nanny." She told him softly. "Your dad said that you seemed really sad and he kept looking at me. I think mum must have noticed because she asked him what he wanted and that was when he asked if he could take me up to see you for the week. Mum and dad were reluctant at first but then it was my birthday and I cried for a full hour when I realised you weren't going to be at my birthday party. I didn't like the fact you wouldn't be there to help me blow my candles out." She smiled as she remembered, "I may have thrown a bit of a tantrum and stamped my feet a little bit." She paused again, remembering something she hadn't thought of in years, "Actually it was your dad who calmed me down." She whispered.

"What did he do?" Joey asked her in surprise.

"Did you know your dad scared me?" she asked, deviating slightly from the subject. Joey shook his head, "I used to be scared of him because he was such a big man and he was loud and he shouted quite a lot... and he would get very upset about things... like when him and dad had an argument, he would be right up in my dad's face, shouting at him."

"I remember..." Joey said.

"My birthday was the day I stopped being scared of him," she smiled, "Well, not quite as scared of him anyway..." she added. "I'd been over to see Granddad Jim and Grandma Dot and they'd given me some nice colouring pencils and paints. Then Granddad asked me if I was missing you... that it must be strange to not have you there for my birthday and it brought it all back and I started to cry. Grandma and Granddad were a bit lost as to what to do and all the other grandchildren were there as well... but your dad turned up and saw I was upset and Granddad told him what it was that upset me and your dad said me and him were going to go for a walk. We went to the park and I sat on one of the swings and he pushed me on it... like you would when we went there." Joey was watching her face as she spoke and he could see she was lost in her memories, "He told me that you were missing me as much as I was missing you. He said that was why he wanted me to go up to see you with him because he missed seeing his son happy. Your dad asked me if I wanted to go and I said it was what I was going to wish for when I blew out the candles... of course, then I worried that by telling him that, it wouldn't happen but he just smiled at me and said he'd talk to my mum and dad about it."

"How come you never told me this before?"

"I was so excited at seeing you... the how I got there bit didn't seem that important... anyway, I haven't finished telling you yet." She kissed his forehead softly, "I still wished for it when I blew out the candles on my cake at my party and for a whole day I worried that I'd jinxed it but then mum and dad sat me down and asked me if I wanted to go and see you for Easter and I told them I did... so they said I could go and I don't think I'd ever been quite as excited. It had been such a long time since I'd seen you and I just had to wait two more days and then we'd be together again." She took a deep breath, "Your dad and I had a good time on our journey up to see you. We stopped at a service station and he took me for a McDonald's... even though he knew mum would've disapproved. He let me have the chicken nuggets and didn't even shout at me when I spilled my chips on the floor. I thought he was going to and guess I got a little upset but he just told me not to worry about it, someone would clean up the mess and he gave me some of his chips." Lauren looked at her boyfriend and she smiled at him softly, "That week I was at your Nanny's house was a week of mixed emotions for me... I was so excited to see you and was really really happy but as the week went by I knew I was getting closer to having to say goodbye to you as well and that made me really sad. When we left on the Sunday your dad let me sit in the front of the car and I didn't know why until a bit later. I waved so hard at you when we left and I couldn't see if you waved back because I was crying so much. I was actually all out sobbing and then I thought I was going to annoy your dad and that upset me as well." Her smile grew as she remembered the next bit she was going to tell him, "Your dad stopped the car a couple of streets away from your Nanny's house and I thought he was angry with me..."

"And he wasn't?" Joey asked hesitantly.

"No... he was upset too..." she whispered. "He told me that he missed you all very much and when he left he always stopped just round the corner and spent a few minutes crying." She heard Joey gasp and she knew how big a deal this was for him, "So the two of us cried about the fact we were going to miss you. Then he pulled me onto his lap and hugged me and then I knew that was why he'd let me sit in the front seat... so he could be there for me when I got upset and I could be there for him. After about ten minutes he put me back in my seat and then started the car and we carried on driving home... but he held my hand and every now and again he would squeeze it." She took a deep breath, seeing the tears in Joey's eyes at what she'd just said, "He talked about you all the way home, Joe... and it wasn't just because he was talking to me. He told me he missed you the most; he missed having his little boy there." Her hand brushed the side of his face tenderly, "After that, whenever I was missing you I would speak to him and I told him he could do the same if he was ever missing you too..." One lone tear fell down Joey's face and she brushed it away quickly, "What else do you remember doing with him, Joe?" she asked softly.

"He taught me to play poker..." he said with a smirk.

"He did? How old were you?"

"Ten... It was while we were at Nanny Linda's," Lauren could hear the sound of pride in his voice... and it reminded her of her uncle. "He said I had a good poker face..." he added.

"You sounded just like him then..." she told him softly.

"Did I?" She nodded and saw the tears start to fall from his eyes.

"Don't cry, baby... I didn't mean to upset you..." She groaned in frustration, "I'm doing this all wrong, I'm so sorry, JoJo."

"You're not, Lo... being here with you now is just what I need and it has helped to talk about him."

"Do they know when the funeral is going to be?" she asked.

"Your dad said they were going to speak to the funeral directors this afternoon. They want to do a post mortem to see why he died, I think." He looked pained as he spoke of that.

"What's wrong?"

"I don't like to think of them cutting him open..."

"Don't you want to know why he died, Joe? That's got to be better than not knowing... right?"

"I guess." He laid his head back on her chest. He started to fidget slightly.

"What's wrong?"

"I can't seem to settle..."

"It's probably because you didn't get your run this morning, babe..."

"I know..."

"And you've been pretty tense since then, understandably..." she told him softly.

"Can we...?" he looked at her hopefully.

She smiled at him tenderly, "You know I can never say no to you, JoJo..." she whispered. They both sat up and hurriedly undressed.

Joey pulled her against him, kissing her deeply, "Thank you for today, Lo... I'm really sorry for the things I said earlier."

"I know you are... and I knew you didn't mean it really. It's just the grief..."

"That doesn't give me the right to treat you like that..."

"I forgive you anyway..." she whispered. She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him before turning and getting back on her bed. She frowned as Joey turned away from her, "What are you doing, Joe?" she asked.

"Protection..." he said as he stood back up and walked towards her. He passed her the foil square as he lay beside her. Lauren looked at it then glanced at Joey. She reached over him and put the condom in her bedside table. "Lo?"

She kissed him, her hand caressing the side of his face. "I want it to be just us, Joe..." she whispered. He stared at her, a shocked expression on his face, "I know we're serious, Joe. We've talked about what might happen and I don't care about the consequences today, I'm on the pill and you're it for me, I know that in my heart... so I want to do this... unless you don't want to."

"I do, baby... You just surprised me, that's all." He smiled at her, "You're sure?" he whispered.

"More than anything," she reassured him. Her hand brushed down his chest and soon his length was in the palm of her hand as she stroked him. His hand moved between her legs and his fingers slid into her. They spent the next few minutes as they were, sharing the odd kiss and caress as they did so. Joey rolled them over so Lauren was lying beneath him and she released her hold on him. It would just take seconds to push his length into her but he held back, taking a moment to prepare himself for what he was about to do. He had never done this before so he wasn't sure what to expect. Lauren was watching him and he looked at her again, their gaze increasing the intensity between them. It was the sight of her biting her lip that forced him to move though. He pushed his hips towards hers and moaned as he slid inside her welcoming body.

"Oh god, Lo..." he murmured softly once he was fully seated in her. She blinked several times, her teeth digging a little harder into her bottom lip. He kissed her, pulling her lip from between her teeth and slipping his tongue into her mouth, stroking it gently against hers. The minutes passed as they slowly made love to each other. Joey was astounded by how it felt to be in her, feeling everything so much better than when he wore a condom... and even with them it felt pretty amazing as far as he was concerned. His mouth moved from hers, instead dotting kisses over her face and then down her neck. She moaned deeply as he sucked on her neck; the tender spot he'd identified early in their relationship his place of focus. It was his turn to moan when she moved a leg and wrapped it around his waist. When her other leg joined her first his hips move a little quicker, Joey closing his eyes as he sunk into her much deeper.

"So close, JoJo..." she whispered. Her arms were around his neck and she was holding his head against her neck, one hand's fingernails digging into his back the closer she got to coming.

Joey increased his pace, his hips pounding against hers then he was coming, shooting his seed into her body. Lauren screamed as she came, fractions of a second after he did, her body clamping down on him and her back arching off the bed. Joey collapsed on her, his strength disappearing as his peak faded. The experience had helped him work off the energy that had been buzzing through him but now the emotions were coming back. "LoLo..." he sobbed into her neck.

"It's okay, JoJo... I've got you and I'm going nowhere," She whispered to him. "I love you, JoJo and I'm always going to, I promise."

TBC

**A/N: So did that surprise you? Let me know your thoughts. I suppose it's not a shock if I tell you that the remainder of the story is dealing with the aftermath of this chapter... but will it make them stronger or tear them apart as Joey deals with his grief? What's the phrase... you always hurt the ones you love...  
**

**Next chapter's guest artist will be... INXS... Good luck with the guesses.**


	21. Chapter 21: Baby Don't Cry

**There was one correct guess for the chapter title (another one for you, Abby - well done).  
**

**I'm sorry the last chapter was so emotional... and I wish I could say that was the end... but it isn't. My whole aim of this story was to write one where Derek was a nice guy who loved his wife and children and lived surrounded by his family. That is my reasoning for him being different to in the show - he had his family around him that kept him on the straight and narrow... and essentially made him a different person. This story was never just about Lauren and Joey growing up together and being in love... it's about families and everything that entails... so I've pushed Joey to his limits and now he's got to deal with the ramifications of his father's death.**

**In short, Joey's going to need Lauren a lot in the rest of this story... and that starts now. I guess the chapter title says it all really.  
**

**Chapter 21: Baby Don't Cry.**

The following days were painful days for all of the Branning's. News of Derek's death spread quickly around the square, leaving a sombre pall across Walford. Three days after his demise, news came through about the cause of his death. Max Branning was the person to receive the call and he gathered his siblings and Derek's immediate family at Jack's flat to share the results with them all. Lauren had wanted to be there too, so she could be there for Joey but her dad had said no. Joey was going to go over to her house once he knew though, knowing he was going to need her.

Joey had been spending a lot of time at number 5 Albert Square. He hated being at his home now. All he could see when he walked into the lounge was Derek lying on the floor and the whole house just reminded him of what they'd lost. His mum was worried about him but he wouldn't talk to her and she knew the only person who could help him at the moment was Lauren.

*JL*JL*

Lauren was waiting on the couch in the lounge. It had been more than an hour since her dad had left to go and tell everyone how Derek had died. She had been expecting Joey for a while now and she was starting to get worried. The front door opened and Lauren sprang to her feet, moving to the doorway and being disappointed to find it was her dad. "Where's Joe?"

"He's not here?" her dad said. "He left Jack's about twenty minutes ago. I'd assumed he was coming here."

"He said he'd come over once you were all done." She said, frowning as she wondered why he hadn't turned up. She glanced at her dad, "Was it bad?" she asked.

"I'll let Joey tell you, babe... Maybe you should go and find him... I think he'll need to talk about it." Max said sadly and Lauren's heart sank. She knew already that it was bad.

Lauren grabbed her jacket and slipped on her boots. She stood on her tiptoes and kissed her dad's cheek. "I won't be long but I should imagine I'll bring Joey back with me. Is that okay?"

"Of course, babe."

*JL*JL*

Lauren slipped out of the house and stood on the street, trying to work out where Joey could be. She had an idea, based on the fact it was the place he always went when he needed to think and she turned towards the park, quickly seeing him sitting on the swings. His back was to her as she approached but she could see his head was down and his whole body looked tense. She sat in the familiar position on the swing next to him and sat silently, knowing he knew she was there if he wanted to talk.

"He had cancer..." he said softly and Lauren could tell from his voice that he was crying.

"What?" she asked, not sure she'd heard him correctly.

"It was bowel cancer... pretty advanced they said."

"Oh Joe..." she whispered. She got up from the swing and moved to stand in front of him. He moved his legs so she could stand between them and she wrapped her arms around his body, pulling him against her. The tears came thick and fast as soon as she was holding him and Lauren could feel her own tears forming as she watched and felt Joey crying against her. She hated seeing him upset and she wished there was something more she could do for him.

"Your dad spoke to the solicitor and he had instructions from dad authorising him to tell your dad if... when... he died. He was diagnosed just under two years ago but it was inoperable so he knew he wasn't going to get better. It was just a case of when it happened..." Joey whispered once he'd calmed down a little. "He didn't tell anyone, not even mum. We were all in the dark."

"I don't know what to say, Joe. I'm sorry doesn't seem to cover it really." She whispered. She lowered her face and kissed the top of his head. "Let's go back to mine..." she whispered.

"I don't really want to see anyone..." he breathed.

"We'll go up to my room... it'll just be the two of us, I promise..." She told him, "Unless you want to be on your own... in which case you can use my room and I'll be downstairs if you want me." She tugged on his hands as she took a step backwards and he got to his feet. They walked back to her house, Joey walking with his head down so no one could see he was upset. As they neared her house Lauren saw Lucy heading towards her at a jog and Lauren urged Joey towards the house, "I'll be in in a minute or two, babe..." she said, passing him her house keys.

"How's Joey?" Lucy asked once she was with Lauren.

"How do you think he is, Luce? His dad's just died..." Lauren said.

"I was just asking..." her friend said defensively.

"Yeah... well, it was a stupid question." Lauren muttered.

"You're a bit snappy today..."

"Lucy, it's been a tough couple of days, yeah. My uncle, Joey's dad has died... none of us were expecting it and I'm trying to help Joey with it. He's taken it really hard. He's a mess... We all are. So was there something you wanted... or are you just here to get the gossip?" Lauren snapped.

"I just came to say that if you wanted me to get things from school for you, I would." Lucy said softly.

Lauren instantly felt guilty. Lucy may not be the closest of friends to her anymore, but she wasn't always bad. "I'm sorry." She said softly, "I've not really slept since it happened... I'm just overtired and worried. I didn't mean to snap."

"It's okay. If you ever want a break, let me know and we can go for a coffee at the cafe."

"Thanks Luce..." Lauren said. Lucy said hugged her quickly, taking Lauren by surprise. "I'd better get inside..." Lauren whispered.

"I'll catch up with you soon, yeah?" Lucy said as she started to walk away.

"Okay... and thanks for the school work. I'll let you know when I'm going to be back..." Lauren couldn't even get her head around school at the moment. She had to focus on Joey and getting him through this. She walked up to the front door of her house and found the door was on the catch so she could get in. She concentrated on taking her coat and boots off once she was inside and when she turned she found her dad waiting for her.

"You okay?" he asked her softly.

Lauren shrugged, walking towards her dad. She hugged him tightly, feeling his arms wrap around her just the same. "I'm sorry daddy." She murmured into his shirt.

"How's Joe doing?"

Lauren shrugged, "He's so cut up about this, dad. I don't know how to help him..."

"You're doing a better job than I think you realise." Her dad told her softly. "I spoke to your aunt after Joe left... she wants him to give the eulogy at the funeral. Do you think he'd be up for that?"

"I'll ask him but I can't promise anything, dad." She looked up at her father's face and saw the stress and grief written all over it. "Dad, can Joe stay here tonight... with me?" she asked softly. He stared at her and Lauren had no idea how he was going to respond. "He needs to get out of that house for a while and I want to be there for him. Please daddy."

"Okay... I'll talk to your mother about it and Abi can sleep in Oscar's room tonight... but Lauren... no funny business, okay?"

"I just want to help him with this, dad. Sex isn't at the top of my list of priorities right now." She tried not to notice her dad blanching at the way she'd worded that sentence. "I'd better go and see how Joe is... I'll speak to you later, dad." She jogged up the stairs and pushed open the door to her room, "Is it okay to come in?" she asked him softly. He was lying on her bed. He tilted his head to look at her and she saw the tears streaming down his face. She walked in and over to where he was. Regardless of what he said, she wasn't taking no for an answer. He needed her. She lay beside him and pulled him into her arms, a familiar position for the last few days. He rested his head on her chest and she ran her fingers softly through his hair.

"I'm sorry..." he whispered after a couple of minutes.

"For what?" she asked in confusion.

"Crying all the time..."

"Hey now..." she said, tilting his head so she could see into his eyes, "Your dad's just died, Joe. I'd be worried if you weren't crying, to be honest. And anyway, I'm your girlfriend... if you can't cry all over me, who can you cry with?" she asked.

"I'm supposed to be stoic about it though..." he said harshly. "It's not manly to cry like this."

"JoJo... your dad cried in front of me... if he can, then so can you..." she whispered. Her words caused him to pause his self loathing.

"You mean that?" he breathed.

"Of course I do... I won't lie, it hurts me to see you this upset but it doesn't make me hate you or get angry with you."

"I love you, Lo... I couldn't have got through the last few days without you."

"Nowhere else I'm going to be, JoJo."

TBC

**A/N: What did you think? Poor Joey... and poor Lauren (and because I love him just a little bit, poor Max too). Two chapters to go!**

**Next chapter's guest artist will be... Ciara... if you know the song - I think you know what the next chapter will be all about!**


	22. Chapter 22: Love, Sex, Magic

**So two correct guesses of the chapter title (well done disarranging and chloem93!). Does the title excite you? Looks like Lauren is going to completely ignore the "no funny business" warning from her dad then... Oh well...  
**

**Chapter 22: Love, Sex, Magic.**

Dinner was a quiet affair that night. No one was really in the mood for talking and Joey basically just pushed his food around his plate. Lauren was watching him intently as she forced her own food down. He didn't notice her scrutiny, in much the same way she didn't notice her parents watching them both. Also unknown to them both was the fact Lauren's parents and Joey's mum had discussed them and their relationship that afternoon. Their main concern had been Joey and how he wasn't taking his dad's death well. It was something they were all worried about. Second on their list though had been the fact that the whole of Walford and most definitely the rest of the family would find out about the relationship between the young couple in the days that were due to come. They weren't sure how either of the youngsters would take this pressure at a time when they were both already under a great deal of strain. After a discussion between the three it was decided that the pair should be supported by them; that all they had done was fall in love with each other... something people do on an everyday basis.

*JL*JL*

Joey and Lauren sat on the couch, watching some mindless TV. Neither of them had spoken for a while but Lauren was curled up against him and Joey's hand was brushing through her hair and running up and down her back.

Lauren could tell Joey was still distracted; he certainly wasn't watching the TV – not that she was really either, "Why don't we go upstairs, JoJo?" she whispered to him, breaking the silence. He nodded silently and they both got to their feet. "I'll go and get us some water and I'll be up in a few minutes." She told him, standing on her tiptoes and kissing him tenderly on the mouth. After they pulled apart, he turned and walked up the stairs. Lauren watched him go sadly, wondering when the day would come that she'd get her boyfriend back. She sighed as she walked into the kitchen and grabbed a glass from the cupboard, "Joe and I are going to bed..." she said as she filled the glass with water. She could feel her parents watching her and she turned to face them, taking a sip from the glass. "What?"

"Nothing, babe..." Her dad said, "Just remember what I said earlier, okay? No funny business..."

Lauren rolled her eyes, "You really think Joey is thinking about sex now?" she hissed.

"Joey's a boy, darling... It's what boy's do." Her mum said softly.

"Well, Joey's different..." Lauren spluttered, somewhat uncomfortable having this conversation with her parents, "He's barely thinking about anything apart from the fact his dad has just died." She started to walk towards the door of the room, "I'm going to go and take care of the boy I love now." She glanced back at them over her shoulder, "Whatever it takes... because he needs me and I want to be there for him." She left the room before they could say anything else to her.

Her parents shared a look and went into the lounge, turning the sound up on the TV as they sat down. If they didn't hear anything they could pretend it wasn't happening.

*JL*JL*

Lauren pushed open her door and found Joey was already in her bed. It only took a couple of minutes for her to join him and she wrapped her arms around his waist as she pressed herself behind him. She kissed his shoulder softly, leaving her lips against his skin. "How you feeling?" she asked him.

"Not much of anything..." he whispered.

"What can I do to help?" she asked.

"You're doing it already." He told her.

She smiled against his shoulder. She could tell Joey was naked and he squeezed her hand when she pressed her equally bare body against his back, hearing him moan quietly. "Do you want to...?" She felt selfish suggesting it but she just wanted to take his mind off everything.

"Your parents..." he sighed.

"Are watching TV... they know we're sleeping together, Joey..."

"I don't want to rub their noses in it..."

"And I just want to help my boyfriend..." she whispered in his ear. She pulled away from him and rolled over so she was now on her back, sighing as she did so.

They were silent for several minutes, Joey eventually turning over to face her. "I'm sorry, Lo..." he whispered.

"You don't have anything to be sorry about." She whispered.

"I know you're just trying to help me..." He breathed in her ear, "I'm just not sure I'm worth the effort."

"I'll be the judge of that, not you." She whispered to him, staring into his eyes intently.

"You have me up on this pedestal and there's only one place for me to go from that." He whispered, "I don't know if I can be the person you need right now, Lo..."

"Are you breaking up with me?" she murmured, unable to hide the pain from her voice.

He shrugged, "I'm not in the right place to be a boyfriend to you, Lo. I'm a mess and nothing is going to change that until I get past this..." His voice sounded so broken and Lauren moved closer to him, her arms winding around his waist again.

She pressed her lips against his chest, his heart directly beneath her lips. "Then let me help you, JoJo..." she breathed, "Let me be the person you need for a change... let me help you deal with this because I'm not giving up on this relationship. You mean too much to me for me to give up that easily."

He lowered his head, seeing her eyes looking up at him, "What did I do to deserve you, eh?" he murmured before placing his mouth softly on hers in a tender kiss.

"I can think of countless times where you've been there for me, JoJo... let me do this for you." She told him. "You told me to have faith in you... you need to do the same with me now... don't give up."

He kissed her again, deepening it and brushing his hands over her body. Lauren's hand started its own exploration and soon she was stroking his length. Joey moaned as her thumb swiped over the tip. Lauren had got very good at doing this to him over the months they'd been together. Actually she'd been pretty amazing at it the first time she'd done it but now she no longer needed any guidance from him when she did this and she would use various tricks along the way, always managing to surprise him.

He was soon gasping and his cock throbbing in her hand and she smiled at him. He stared at her face, for the first time in the last few days she was all he could think about. She amazed him so much and he didn't know how he would ever be able to thank her. He kissed her again, his hands recommencing their exploration of her body. She whimpered as her breasts filled his palms and Joey shuffled lower in the bed, his mouth taking a nipple into his mouth. He worshipped it, his tongue swirling around it before he sucked on it sharply. She moaned again and he smiled against her chest. While it was true he had a fascination with her boobs, Lauren was just as keen for him to spend time on them. She could come just from him touching them... and he'd never found anyone who was as responsive as she was when he did that. He moved to her other breast and her hands pressed his head to her. See, she liked this as much as Joey did. His hands drifted lower and soon he was pushing two fingers into her, stroking her gently. He pulled away from her chest slightly and stared into her eyes, seeing the desire in them. Never was she as beautiful as she was when he made her come... She was stunning all the time as far as he was concerned but in those few minutes before she reached her peak she was magnificent. "Come for me, baby..." he begged her softly. He'd barely spoken the words and her body tightened on his fingers. She gasped several times and then her mouth crushed against his and she was kissing him deeply. "I love you," he breathed against her lips.

"I love you too, JoJo..." she whispered.

"I'm feeling much better now," he murmured, his head turning into her neck. "More relaxed..." he said softly.

She wriggled beneath him, smirking up at him. "Seems like part of you at least isn't as relaxed as the rest of you," she teased.

"Babe... your parents are downstairs and while we've just done what we have... I really don't think we're going to be able to have sex tonight."

"I don't care if they know what we're doing. They could come in here and watch us going at it for all I care... this is about me being here for you... me helping you deal with the pain..."

"Them coming in here and watching us together wouldn't bother you?" Joey asked with a smirk.

Lauren blushed slightly, "Maybe..." she admitted. She looked at him, "It's good to see you do that..." she whispered.

"What?" he asked.

"Smile..." she said in a murmur. She saw it drop from his face the instant she mentioned it and felt bad, "Your dad would want you to be happy, JoJo..." she whispered. "He wouldn't want you to be sad."

"He only died a couple of days ago..." he said.

"I'm not expecting you to walk around with a permanent grin on your face, Joe... just if you're enjoying something, you should allow yourself to enjoy it."

"For a few minutes I forgot everything that had happened..." he said guiltily.

"It's okay to do that, JoJo..." she breathed in his ear, "It's okay..." she repeated, her hands brushing up and down his back. They fell silent for several minutes and Lauren could hear Joey breathing deeply, his emotions threatening to break the surface. He shifted above her, moaning softly as his hips brushed against hers. "Do you want me to help you with that?" she murmured. He shook his head, "You sure?" she asked, running her foot up the back of his calf.

"Can't..."

"Of course you can, Joe... we did the other day and you felt so much better afterwards." He rolled away from her, ending up on his back staring up at the ceiling. "Joe?"

"Of course I want to, Lo... I do pretty much twenty four seven... I just feel guilty."

"Why?"

"For wanting to do that when I should be thinking about dad."

Lauren held her breath as she moved, shifting so she straddled his waist. She felt him tense beneath her but she didn't change her mind. "Joe... let me look after you... let me do this for you and take away some of the pain you're feeling." He blinked as he stared up at her and nodded his head just once. She lifted slightly and then lowered herself onto him. Yet again she was forgoing the use of protection, Joey needed to feel everything they were doing if there was any way this helped him at all. She bit her lip as she felt him stretch her body as she sank onto him. He took both her hands in his, lacing their fingers together and gripping them tightly. She moved on him and they both moaned. Her eyes remained fixed on his face and she wasn't surprised to see several tears fall from his eyes. She leant forward and kissed him tenderly, then moving her mouth and kissing away the tears, "It's alright, baby... everything's going to be alright."

"I want to believe you... so badly but it doesn't feel like it's ever going to feel alright again." He murmured.

She looked into his eyes, seeing the pain and distress, "What can I do to help you, Joe?" she asked him softly. She can see the distress on his face and knew there was only one thing she could do. She pulled her hands from his and cupped his face in her hands, "Look at me, Joe..." she whispered. The panic was building in his eyes and one of her thumbs wiped away a tear that was just about to fall. "Take a deep breath, baby..." she said softly. He did as she said. "Now I want you to do something for me..." she whispered. He frowned and she knew he was beyond words in his current state, "I want you to fuck me, Joe..."

"What?" he gasped.

"Put all the grief and anger you're feeling into fucking me..."

"But..."

She placed a finger over his lips to silence him, "Joe... you need this and this is pretty much the only thing I can do for you, so let me do this." She told him gently, "Please..."

Time seemed to stand still as he thought through what she'd just said. She saw the acceptance on his face before he did anything else. She pushed herself upright and he followed after her. "Where?" he asked her, kissing her softly.

Lauren glanced around her room, her eyes settling on her desk and knowing she'd found the perfect place. "Desk..." she whispered and saw the small smile on his face. It only took him seconds to brush off the things on her desk, a small crash as some of the stuff clattered to the floor. Joey picked up Fuzzy Bear from the desk and turned him to face the other way, it just seemed wrong to do what he was about to do with him watching. He laid her on the desk carefully and bent forward to kiss her, his hips starting to move against her, a brutal pace being set as he did exactly what she'd told him to do. Every shift of his hips pressed the edge of the desk painfully into her back and she couldn't say it was the most comfortable experience of her life but this wasn't about her. This was about Joey and trying to help him deal with the pain he was feeling.

Lauren watched his face, seeing the concentration initially there give way to the passion and desire as he grew closer and closer to his peak. His hands gripped her hips painfully and Lauren was expecting there to be bruises in the morning... but she didn't care. The desk shoved backwards, thudding against the wall as it rocked beneath her and she knew her parents would be in no doubt what they were doing up here but again she didn't care. He shouted her name as he came, his cock exploding within her and sending her over the edge as well. He placed his hands either side of her head and leant on them heavily, his breath coming fast as he stared at her face. His hips were still shifting, albeit much slower and softer than they had been and then he moved his hand and pressed on her clit, reigniting the fire within her.

Once they were both calm again Joey lifted her into his arms and carried her back to her bed. He held her in his arms as he manoeuvred them onto the mattress. "Thank you..." he breathed, her head nestled against his chest again. "I hope I didn't hurt you, Lo... I'm sorry if I did..." he whispered, his lips pressing against her forehead.

"It's fine, JoJo..." She whispered. He yawned and she kissed the base of his neck tenderly, "Get some sleep, baby..."

TBC

**A/N: I hope you liked that then... Well that was the penultimate chapter. Just one more go to and it's a tearjerker... It'll be up tomorrow so you have time to stock up on Kleenex (or any other brand of tissues...). The last chapter is a long one as there is masses to cover but hopefully it'll tidy everything up...**

**The last chapter's guest artist will be... Labrinth... Have one last guess at the title... GO ON! :-)**


	23. Chapter 23: Last Time

**Firstly I'd like to say thank to everyone who's read, reviewed and guessed the chapter titles throughout this story. I've really appreciated hearing your comments... some of them have really made me laugh (yes, I'm talking about you, Mandy!).**

**I had one correct guess for the chapter title today - so for the last time, well done chloem93. I wish I could say who got the most right - but I just don't know. Sorry!**

**Anyway here is the last chapter... and it's appropriately called Last Time - a nice counterbalance to the first chapter. Are you panicking about what is going to happen with a title like that? Enjoy!  
**

**Chapter 23: Last Time.**

Joey walked up to the front door of number 5, his head down and his hands deep in his pockets. Today was going to be a difficult day and the last thing he wanted was to do this alone. He couldn't believe it had been ten days since his dad had died and today was the day they were going to bury him. It was bizarre really... it felt like ages since he'd died and yet at the same time, it had passed in a flash. One thing he knew... he missed him. He missed having someone he could turn to for support and know they would be there for him always. He knew he had Lauren... but sometimes... well, to put it bluntly, sometimes that wasn't what he needed. Sometimes he needed a man he could talk to. His dad had been that person for him and now he had no one.

There were currently three sheets of papers that were burning a hole in his jacket pocket and every time Joey thought about standing in front of everyone and reading those words he felt physically sick. It had taken him two days to work out what he wanted to say in the eulogy and he'd read it once, standing in the middle of Lauren's room while she watched. His speech... or as far as he'd got through it before breaking down in tears had moved Lauren to tears as well. Since then whenever he'd tried to read it, a huge lump had formed in his throat and he couldn't get a word out. He wasn't sure what was going to happen at the service and right now that was bothering him a lot. He didn't want to let his mum... and his dad... down.

The door opened and Max held it open for him, ushering him into the house. Lauren was walking down the stairs and she moved to him quickly and hugged him. "How are you feeling, Joe? Are your mum and Alice okay?" she asked him softly.

Her question about him was one he'd heard a lot over the last ten days. He wished he knew how to answer it. His heart clenched and he held her a little tighter. She seemed to understand what he was silently telling her.

"We need to leave in twenty minutes," Max said as he walked into the lounge.

Lauren pulled away from Joey and pulled him with her as she followed after her dad. She let go of Joey's hand and walked over to where her dad stood. He was trying, unsuccessfully to do his tie and Lauren stood in front of him and did it for him. "It's okay, dad..." she said softly.

"When did you become so grown up, eh?" he asked her, his voice hoarse with emotion, "What happened to my little girl?"

"I'm still here, daddy... I've just gotten a bit older and answer back a little bit more." She said with a smile.

Max hugged her and kissed the top of her head, "Thanks babe." He whispered, "Go and look after Joe... I think he needs another one of your hugs too."

Lauren walked back to Joey, seeing him standing awkwardly in the middle of the room. She straightened his tie and brushed her hands over his jacket, brushing away specks of dirt and creases that weren't even there. She slipped her arms beneath his jacket and around his waist, pressing her face against his chest. They stood in silence for several minutes, Joey drawing strength from his beautiful girlfriend as he mentally tried to prepare himself for the next couple of hours.

*JL*JL*

Joey sat in the back of the car, blankly staring out of the window. Lauren was tightly clutching his hand in both hers. Every now and again she would squeeze his hand softly and her thumb brushed the back of his hand. Her head was leaning on his shoulder and he knew she was watching him.

His uncle was driving and they were heading towards Plaistow and the cemetery there. Grandma Reenie had spent her last years in that part of London and it was after her death that Granddad Jim moved to Walford where Max and Derek already lived and he met Dot and ultimately married her. Joey's dad had wanted to be buried near his mum. He'd brought a plot there shortly after his mum's death, before Joey was born and now they were going there to lay him to rest.

A lot of the last few days were just a blur to Joseph Branning. For example, his understandings of the travel arrangements had been inaccurate, although he only found that out when they went out to get in the cars. His mum and Alice were travelling in the car behind the hearse. Uncle Jack was going with them as support in addition to his Grandparents. He had again been offered a seat in the car with them but he'd refused. He needed to be with Lauren. She was the only thing that was going to keep him sane today. He hoped she knew how much he needed her today... and always.

Uncle Max had spoken to him again the night before about their relationship. He'd pointed out that the rest of the family would find out about them being together today and he'd said that they were there for him and Lauren. They had their support.

At first he hadn't cared what anyone said but then he realised how their reactions would affect Lauren. He knew family was important to his girlfriend and she would be heartbroken if they made horrible remarks about the two of them. He was fairly sure Uncle Jack would be okay. Lauren was his favourite niece and he was therefore unlikely to do anything other than support her. The rest of them he wasn't too sure about.

He turned his head as he was vaguely aware of his name being said. Lauren was sitting forward and looking at him in concern. "Joe?" she said softly, "We're here..."

He looked out of the window and she was right, they were at the cemetery. He also realised it was just the two of them in the car, "I don't know if I can do this, Lo..." he whispered.

"You don't have to do this alone, JoJo... We're all here for you... I'm here for you. Let me support you through this." Her hand came up and caressed his cheek, turning his head so he was looking at her, "I'm here for you Joe..." she repeated, staring into his eyes and making sure she had his full attention. He took a deep breath and nodded his head. "Let's go then..." she whispered. She reached past him and opened the door. He climbed out, turning back to the car and helping Lauren out, all the time ignoring the rest of the family. Lauren slipped her hand into his, her other hand on his arm, squeezing it gently when she felt him tense. "Do you have your speech?" she asked him softly.

"Jacket pocket..." he said, his free hand patting it gently.

"You just have to ask if you need me for anything, okay."

"Stay with me..." Joey whispered, a haunted expression on his face.

"I don't have any plans to be anywhere else." She said. She glanced towards the family, "I think we should get over there..."

"Can we stay here a few more minutes?" he asked.

"I'd love to say yes... but dad keeps looking over here and trying to attract our attention..." she said. She squeezed his hand and, somewhat reluctantly on Joey's part, they made their way over to the family.

Joey glanced around at them all, seeing some parts of his family he was less familiar with. His dad's other sisters were both there, Auntie Suzy and Auntie April. They were here with their husbands and he was sure there were a couple of cousins that belonged to them too. Sonia and Martin were there and Robbie had come back from India. Joey couldn't help but notice that they were all staring at him and he felt self-conscious. He walked over to where his mum and Alice were stood, pulling Lauren along behind him. He hugged his mum, feeling her break down against his chest. Alice clung to their mum tightly and Joey again thought how unfair it was for someone as young as she was to lose her parent. He released his hold of his mum and reached for Alice, kissing her softly on the forehead. "It's going to be okay, Al..." he told her softly. She nodded but he could hear the lie in his voice and knew she didn't believe him any more than he did.

*JL*JL*

The family gathered around the grave. Joey was standing beside his sister, his mum standing the other side of her. On his other side, holding his hand tightly was Lauren. He was barely listening to the vicar. His eyes were riveted on the coffin before them. Before the service Joey had been surprised by the number of people in attendance but now it just felt like there was only him, Lauren, his mum and sister here.

*JL*JL*

Joey looked to his right when he felt his mum's hand on his shoulder. He glanced at the vicar and saw everyone was looking at him again. He swallowed down the bile that was trying to force its way out of his throat. He swallowed again, wishing he could have a drink... something to wet his now parched mouth. It was time for him to read his eulogy. He took the sheets of paper out of his pocket, his hands now sweating, moistening the paper and smudging the writing. He looked at Lauren, a look of panic on his face. She squeezed his hand and stared into his eyes. She gave him some strength he would need to get through the next few minutes.

He moved to stand at the top of the coffin, the vicar to his right. He glanced around at the people in attendance and quickly looked down at the now slightly crumpled paper in his hand. He cleared his throat and swallowed the huge lump in his throat.

"My dad was someone I always looked up to... throughout my life, even in the last few years when I towered above him in height. He was a man who was larger than life and tried to live it to the full. Family was important to my dad. He would do anything for family which is something I think he should be respected for." Joey looked down, his eyes starting to water. "My first memory of my dad was when I was about a year old. He had come home from work and during the day I had taken my first steps. As soon as he was through the door, I was off... heading for him. I remember the look on his face as he saw me walking towards him. His whole face lit up and when I reached him, he gave me a huge hug and spun me around in the air, making me giggle and scream out daddy." The lump was back in his throat and he inhaled deeply, trying to control his rapidly fraying emotions. He looked back at the sheet of paper but for the life of him he couldn't read the remaining words. He wanted to look at Lauren... he needed her help but he knew if he looked at her he was going to lose it completely and he was determined to finish this. He owed his dad that much. He kept his eyes on the ground, closing them as he fought his internal battle. A hand slipped into his and he knew it was her. She squeezed his hand tightly and some of his earlier strength returned. "Derek Branning was a son, a brother, a husband and uncle." He continued, his voice not as strong as he'd like it to be. "To me though he will always be my daddy..." He squeezed Lauren's hand as tight as he could. "He will be missed by everyone who knew him and I know that not a day will go by where I won't find something new that I'll miss about him." His voice broke and he couldn't help the sob that flew out of his mouth. The last few words were too much for him and he broke down, his shoulders shaking as he wept.

Lauren watched Joey fall apart and she reacted instinctively, not thinking about anyone else other than her boyfriend. She took the crumpled sheets of paper from his hand and then wrapped her arms around his neck and pulling him against her. His face buried in her neck and not for the first time since his dad died, he lost himself to his tears. Lauren felt her own tears forming as Joey clung to her. The family watched in silence, sobered by the sight of Joey breaking down. "It's okay, JoJo..." she breathed in his ear, kissing his cheek softly. "I'll read the rest for you..." she told him, squeezing his hand. He straightened back up, keeping his head lowered as he struggled with how he'd reacted in front of everyone. Lauren turned to face everyone, "I'm going to read the poem that Joe found which is very fitting for the reason we're here..." she said, her voice soft and filled with emotion.

Don't cry for me now I have died, for I'm still here I'm by your side,  
My body's gone but my soul is here, please don't shed another tear,  
I am still here I'm all around, only my body lies in the ground.  
I am the snowflake that kisses your nose,  
I am the frost, that nips your toes.  
I am the sun, bringing you light,  
I am the star, shining so bright.  
I am the rain, refreshing the earth,  
I am the laughter, I am the mirth.  
I am the bird, up in the sky,  
I am the cloud, that's drifting by.  
I am the thoughts, inside your head,  
While I'm still there, I can't be dead.

"So this is what I think we should do... we need to remember Uncle Derek because as long as we remember him and keep him in our thoughts, he's still with us; with his family, just where he would want to be." Lauren whispered.

The family stand in silence as the coffin is slowly lowered into the ground. Alice and Joey's mum are in floods of tears and Uncle Jack and Lauren's dad were hugging them both, helping them deal with their grief. Lauren's main focus was still Joey and she could see he was faring little better than the rest of his family. She knew he was crying again... although he hadn't really stopped in truth... but now it was harder and she could see how much this was affecting him. Joey's mum threw some dirt onto the coffin, an act repeated by Alice and all of Derek's siblings. Granddad Jim and Grandma Dot threw two white roses onto the coffin. The family fell silent again and the vicar finished the service.

*JL*JL*

Joey and Lauren stood side by side at the edge of the grave. Some of the family had moved away and it was only Lauren and Joey's immediate families that remained. "We'll wait for you at the car, sweetheart." Her dad said softly. She nodded at him once, although she was staring at Joey. Her dad kissed her on the cheek, his hand squeezing her shoulder before he ushered the rest of the family away.

Silence surrounded them, the air becoming damp as the weather started to take a turn for the worse. "Thanks Lo..." he croaked.

"You don't have to thank me, JoJo." She told him softly.

"I know... but I want to..." He risked a glance at her and found her staring at him. "I don't want to leave him here..." he admitted in a shaky voice.

"I know." She whispered, resting her head on his shoulder and giving him some time.

"Kiss me, Lo..." he said softly after several minutes silence. The look on his face was heartbreaking for her to see and she didn't even think about saying no to his request. She stepped closer to him, tilting her head back so she could meet his mouth in a soft kiss. Her hand settled on the back of his neck and her thumb brushed his hairline as the kiss naturally deepened. She hugged him tightly once the kiss had ended and she took his hand, squeezing it as he bent down and pick up a handful of mud, tossing it gently into the grave. "I love you, daddy..." he whispered.

*JL*JL*

Some people were still milling around in the car park and Lauren ushered Joey to her dad's car as the rain started to come down much harder. Neither of them notice the way their Auntie Suzy was staring at them as they left the graveside.

*JL*JL*

The immediate family walked into the Queen Vic for the wake after most of the other people had already gathered. All of the family was there and many of the residents of the square who hadn't been able to attend the service. The last to enter the pub was Lauren and Joey, Joey's hand still clutching Lauren's tightly. Max noticed his sisters at the far end of the bar and he could see the way they were talking and looking in the direction of his nephew and daughter. He sighed... could this family not have any peace? Not even today?

"So Lauren and Joey?"

It was a much friendlier voice... and there was a hint of laughter to his words. Max turned to his brother and his younger brother pushed a glass of whisky towards him. "Yeah..." he confirmed.

"How long?" Jack asked softly, glancing at his niece and seeing her sitting with Joey, talking to him softly and trying to calm him down.

"Almost a year... but in truth... forever," Max said, taking a gulp from his glass. "They told us just before Christmas and we were happy about it. We've always known something would happen between them... they were so close as they grew up. It was only ever a matter of time..."

"And Derek?" Jack said.

Max smirked, lifting his glass and taking another mouthful of his drink, "He was their biggest supporter... I'll admit we were a little shocked when they told us and they left us to think and talk it through. Del was the one who convinced us to let them be together." Max explained.

"I think our sisters may share a different opinion..." Jack said sagely, nodding in their direction as Suzy, Carol and April made their way over to them. Suzy was glaring at Lauren and Joey as she walked towards them.

"Max... Jack..." She said, folding her arms across her chest.

"Sue..." Jack said.

"Max, I hate to ask... but is there something going on between Joseph and Lauren?" she asked, never one to beat around the bush.

"Would it matter if there was?" he said vaguely.

"Yes, they're cousins!" April said indignantly.

"They're happy..." Max countered.

"You can't agree with this, Max?" Carol asked.

"Why not? They've always been close... Joey has always looked after Lauren. They care for each other deeply, in a way no one else ever could. I can't think of anyone better to keep my daughter safe and to love her."

"I think it's disgusting..." Suzy spat.

"Well, fortunately for them, your opinion doesn't matter..." Max said, his hand tightening on the glass he was holding as he started to get angry with his sisters.

"You can't tell me that Derek liked this...?" Suzy spluttered.

"It shows how much you didn't know your brother then." Max said. He looked at Carol, "I would've thought you'd be more understanding about this... you've seen them growing up together."

"Yes, it's always been as if they're brother and sister – which is illegal..." Carol argued.

"But they're not... they're cousins who fell in love with each other... who've loved each other their whole lives," He stepped closer to his sisters. "Lauren has been the only person who's been able to help Joey since Derek died. Did you know it was him that found him dead? He's had his heart broken by this but he'll talk to Lauren about it and she's there for him when everything becomes too much for him to handle."

"And Derek knew?" Carol asked and Max began to think she might be changing her opinion.

"He talked the rest of us into accepting them..." Max told them. "Both of them have loved each other a very long time and Derek recognised that before any of us did, I think."

"So you're not going to stop it?" Suzy asked.

"No... And I think this conversation is now over..." He said. "Now is neither the time nor place to be discussing this... and as far as I'm concerned, there is nothing for us to talk about." Suzy turned and glared at Lauren and Joey but Max stepped in before she could go over and speak to them, "Don't even think about it, Sue..." he hissed, "This is none of your business!" He told her, his voice quiet but firm.

"Its family business, Max... that makes it my business..." She said sharply, drawing attention from people standing nearby.

"I'm warning you, Sue... if you do anything to upset them...?" he growled, finally deciding he'd had enough.

"Max..." Jack said gently, a hand settling on his brother's shoulder. Several people in the pub were looking their way, seeing the beginning of some drama starting to unfold.

Today wasn't the day for drama. Max stepped back and looked at his sisters, "I mean it... don't ruin this for them... this is what Derek wanted." He said. He downed the rest of his drink and slammed his glass back on the bar, turning and stalking over to the table Joey and Lauren were sitting at. Jack followed behind him, a quick glance at his sisters before he left. "Probably a stupid question but how are you feeling now, Joey?" Max asked as he sat down.

Joey looked at him, "A bit better actually, thanks Uncle Max..." he replied.

Max looked at his nephew, seeing how he was still gripping Lauren's hand quite tightly. He moved closer to him, putting a hand on his shoulder, "I know I can never be a replacement for your dad, Joe... but if you ever need anything, please come and talk to me about it. Me and your Uncle Jack are both going to be here for you, your sister and mum. You're pretty much like a son to me anyway..." Max said gently, "just the same as Lauren was like a daughter to your dad..." he smiled at Joey, "And maybe one day you'll make it official..." he added softly.

"Thanks Uncle Max..." Joey murmured.

Max reached for his nephew and pulled him towards him, hugging him tightly. He stared at his eldest daughter, seeing her eyes shining with unshed tears, "You don't have to do this on your own, Joey..." he whispered, "We're all here for you..."

"I know..." Joey said, "But it's nice to be reminded."

"And look after my baby girl, okay?" Max said as they pulled apart again.

"I intend to, don't worry. She's doing a pretty good job of looking after me as well."

"Good... glad that's settled." Max glanced at his sisters and turned back to Joey and Lauren, "If they give you any hassle... let me know, okay?" he told them. They nodded, looking at their aunts. "Now, do you want a drink?" He stood up and went to the bar, buying a round of drinks for their table as well as Tanya and Lesley and their younger daughters.

Joey watched his aunts, seeing the disapproving looks on two of their faces. Max came back to the table with their drinks and sat back down with them, Uncle Jack still sitting at the table too. Joey felt Lauren squeeze his hand gently and he looked at her, finding her staring at him. He smiled at her and let go of her hand. He lifted his arm and draped it over her shoulder, pulling her closer to him. Her eyes widened slightly, "You okay?" he asked her softly. She nodded, smiling at him, love written all over her face. "Good..." he whispered, lowering his mouth to hers and kissing her softly. He'd only intended it to be a brief kiss but it deepened quickly into something more. Lauren's hand came up to caress his jaw, her thumb brushing his cheek softly. He rested his head against her forehead, staring into her eyes after they'd pulled apart. "I love you..." he whispered. Her smile grew; her whole face lighting up at his words.

"Good..." she said, "because I love you too..."

Max stared at his brother, who was smirking back at him. Well, that was certainly going to put the cat among the pigeons. So much for no drama.

*JL*JL*

Joey was waiting tensely in the lounge. He was standing at the window, trying not to think about what had happened in this room the week before. This wasn't somewhere he would usually be since it had happened but he was waiting for Uncle Max and he needed to see when he pulled up outside, seeing as how it was raining cats and dogs outside. He and his uncle were going to see his father's solicitor this morning. There was some paperwork that needed to be sorted apparently following his father's death so his uncle was taking him to the solicitors so they could get it sorted.

He almost ran out of the room as soon as he saw the car pull up outside, intently making sure he didn't focus on the middle of the room too much. He was jogging out of the house and climbing into the car less than a minute later. "Hi..." he said in greeting.

"Sorry, I'm late... we had a hard time convincing Lauren it was time she went back to school this morning," Max told him. "I had to drive her there to make sure she actually went."

Joey felt the ever-present guilt increase as he listened to his uncle speak. He knew the only reason she'd been missing school was because she was worried about him and she'd wanted to be there for him since his dad's death. "I'll talk to her later..."

"It's fine, Joe. I know why she hasn't wanted to go and I understand but she's doing her A-levels, she needs to do her schooling... her mum and I want her to do well."

"So do I..." Joey said, staring out of the side window. "Do you know what the solicitor wants to see me about?" Max was the executor of his dad's will but Joey couldn't understand why he needed to be there.

"No... He didn't say anything more than that he needed to talk through some paperwork with you."

"It's not going to be a problem, right?"

"I'm sure it isn't, Joey."

The rest of the journey was made in silence and it wasn't until Max parked the car that Joey said anything again, "Auntie Suzy spoke to me at the wake..." he said. Max stared at him. "She told me she thought the relationship I have with Lauren was wrong and if I was a decent human being I would end things with her." Joey glanced at his uncle, "It's not wrong, is it?"

Max stared at his nephew and he was reminded of him as a small boy. He had the same look of fear on his face that he'd had after Lauren had fallen off her bike. "Joe, ignore your aunt, she's a bitter twisted old lady who doesn't know when to keep her mouth shut. I told her to stay away from you both. I'm sorry she spoke to you. The only thing wrong is her opinion of your relationship. I've told you before but I'll tell you again, we are completely behind you and Lauren."

"We always thought you would hate the fact we were together..." Joey said.

"We only want you both to be happy... that's all that's ever been important to us." Max said. He glanced at the time, "We ought to go in..." he said softly. "Let's go for a drink once we're done... we can have a talk about this then, Joe." Joey nodded and they got out of the car, walking into the solicitor's office for their meeting.

*JL*JL*

Max urged Joey out of the building an hour later, his nephew once more upset by what had just happened. Max drove them back to Albert Square in silence and parked the car, "Let's go to the Vic..." he said softly. They walked into the pub and Max ordered two whiskies and a beer. A couple of minutes later they were sitting at a table in the corner of the pub. Max passed his nephew one of the whiskies and the bottle of beer.

"Did you know?" Joey asked after downing the whisky, wincing as the liquor burned his throat.

"No, Joe... I would've told you if I did..."

"Why me?" he whispered.

"Joe, your dad loved you very much. He told me once that the day you were born was the best day of his life."

"I always thought he preferred Alice..." Joey said. It was something that had been on his mind ever since his dad died. Despite how upset he had been since that day, it was the one thing he'd known the whole of his life. His sister was a daddy's girl and had had a close relationship with their dad. He'd always thought it was closer than his own but now he was starting to doubt that.

"He didn't... I know there have been times when you've had difficulties with your dad, especially when you dropped out of school but he loved you. Did you know it was him that convinced the rest of us that you and Lauren were right together? He was your biggest supporter and he talked us all around."

"He did?" Joey said, glancing at his uncle in surprise.

"I think you should read the letter, Joey... I'm sure it will answer all the questions you have." Max said.

"What do I do with the money?" Joey asked.

"There's no rush to make a decision. Your dad just wanted you to have choices. You're a smart kid, Joe... Maybe you should think about going to university once you've finished at college? Getting some qualifications and using that brain of yours."

"Maybe..." Joey said, fiddling with the label on the bottle of beer.

Max finished his drink, "Do you want anything to eat?" he asked. Joey nodded absently and Max went back to the bar to order some food and get himself another drink.

While he was alone Joey pulled the crisp white envelope from inside his coat. He recognised his dad's writing on the front. He stared down at it, deep in thought as he waited for his uncle to return. Max sat back down, waiting for his nephew to speak, "I'll open it later..." Joey said. He knew he wouldn't be able to read it until Lauren was there. Their food arrived about twenty minutes later. They had returned to their previous conversation of Joey's relationship with Lauren. "Can I talk to you about something, Uncle Max?" during a lull in their talk.

"Of course you can, Joe?" Max said.

"Lauren and I were planning on talking to you all on that day... before dad..." He couldn't finish the sentence for the lump in his throat, "Then that happened and we put it to one side... but I wanted to talk to you about it; to run it by you..." He said. Joey put down his cutlery and pushed away his plate, the thought of eating anything else made him feel sick.

"You can say anything, Joey, you know that..." Max said, wondering what it was that had made his nephew pale so significantly with a red faced chaser that was now making its appearance.

"When we went to see Lauren's consultant while you were away we discussed the possibility of the cysts happening again in the future and what that might mean for Lauren... whether she would be able to have children... and what we could do if she was to lose her other ovary."

"And?" Max asked softly when he saw Joey seem to struggle with what he was trying to say.

"He gave us a couple of options and we spent time since then talking it through and researching them both more. We even went to see a counsellor so we were prepared when we spoke to you all and knew what we wanted." Joey paused, his fingers nervously playing with the label on his beer bottle once again. "We want to freeze some embryos..." he said softly, "Using Lauren's eggs and my sperm," he added unnecessarily and Max smiled into his whisky glass. "It's not something we're planning to use now obviously... we're not ready for that yet, not till we've finished school and college anyway..." Joey said, although technically that was a bit of a lie as they'd 'risked' it a couple of times in the week or so. He glanced at his uncle, wishing he could read his thoughts and get an idea of what he was thinking. "This is our back-up plan in case something happens in the future..."

"It's a sensible idea..." Max said.

"You're okay with it?" he asked softly, relief ebbing through him.

"Of course I am, Joe." Max smiled at him, "We've always known the two of you was going to happen, Joey. I don't even know why I was surprised by it when you told us in December... we used to joke about it when you were both small... because wherever you went, Lauren was guaranteed to be found right behind you."

"My little LoLo shadow..." Joey said with a fond smile as he thought back to his childhood.

"Yeah..." Max chuckled, "You were both so close when you were growing up and it always seemed natural to put you two together in the future. I can't imagine anyone else being with my baby girl, if I'm being honest. I guess it's going to sound cheesy but I always thought you were soul mates."

"Do you think mum and Auntie Tanya will feel the same?" Joey asked.

"I know they will," Max said, "Your dad would've loved it too, Joe." His uncle's words brought a lump to Joey's throat and he took a deep breath, exhaling slowly. "If there's something you need when you both go through this, Joey... you just have to ask and we'll be there for both of you, every step of the way."

"Thanks Uncle Max." Joey said softly. Max went back to eating his lunch in a companionable silence. By the time their food had gone and the plates taken away again Joey was exhausted. The day had been more tiring than he'd anticipated it being.

"I've got to get to the car lot, Joe... Are you staying here or going home?"

"I'll stay here. I've sent Lo a text, she's meeting me here when she gets back from school."

"Are you okay?" Max asked him gently.

Joey looked at his uncle, "I will be..." he said, a small smile on his face.

*JL*JL*

Lauren walked back to the square after school. She'd got held up speaking to her art teacher about an assessment she'd missed last week so she was late leaving. She walked through the market and then into the Vic, scanning the bar for Joey. She saw him and smiled; the smile faltering slightly as she saw Lucy sitting at the table next to him. A little too close if you were to ask Lauren's opinion. It didn't happen often but Lauren felt the surge of jealousy ebb through her. She strode around the bar, pausing briefly to get a diet coke from Kat and then walked over to the table. She slid around next to Joey, the other side of him from where Lucy was sitting. She tried to hide the smile that appeared on her face as Joey's attention was instantly on her.

"Lo..." he said softly.

"Hey Joe." She replied. "Sorry I'm late, I had to speak to my art teacher. I need to make up the assessment from last week." She glanced at Lucy, seeing her watching them intently. Mentally shrugging she decided she didn't care anymore. She moved closer to him. Lauren saw his eyes darken as she moved closer to him. Pausing only briefly she leant closer to him and kissed him softly, smirking against his mouth as she heard Lucy gasp. Lauren lifted her hand and cupped his cheek as the kiss deepened, feeling Joey slip his arm around her waist and settle his hand on the top of her bum.

Joey smiled at her as they pulled apart, "Hey baby..." he whispered. Lauren leant against him, her head on his shoulder.

Lauren looked at Lucy, who was still watching them and she could see the disgust on her face. It wasn't a surprise to her that she didn't approve but then she'd never really liked Joey ever since she'd moved to Walford when Joey was ten and Lauren was seven. She thought he was weird and her opinion of Joey's dad hadn't been much better. Two black marks against her name as far as Lauren was concerned, although she'd never said anything to her about it; it had been an issue since she'd been going out with Joey though. This was only the second time they'd openly flaunted their relationship since the family had found out. Lauren and Joey both knew this was the next big test of their relationship.

"You're together?" she asked.

"Mmm hmm," Joey said softly, kissing Lauren's forehead.

"Isn't that illegal?" she said, clearly looking down her nose at them.

"Nope..." Lauren said.

"Well, it's not right, is it?" Lucy said. "It's just as well your dad isn't here to see it because I'm sure he wouldn't approve..."

Joey tensed and Lauren scowled at the girl who was supposed to be her best friend. "LUCY!" she hissed. She pulled herself from Joey's arms and leant over the table. "Actually Uncle Derek thought it was brilliant that we were together." She told her with a smirk, "And how dare you say something like that to Joey... I told you how upset Joe is... and you say something like that to him?" Joey placed his hand on her back and was brushing it up and down to try and calm her down.

"I don't believe you..." Lucy said indignantly. "Your parents don't know... They would never allow this."

"You think we'd sit here in the Vic and kiss, knowing that everyone in here will see us, if our parents didn't know...?" Lauren said, tilting her head and staring at blonde before her.

"I just wondered if that was what caused Derek to die..." Lucy said, staring at her friend and not seeing Joey flinch at her callous words.

"You bitch!" Lauren breathed. She was out of her seat and standing beside the blonde in an instant. "Stand up...!" she said loudly.

"What are you doing?" Lucy asked.

"I SAID STAND UP!" Lauren hissed, her voice much louder. Lucy did as she said, although you could see it was reluctantly. Lauren glanced at Joey, taking a deep breath. He nodded at her and she turned back to Lucy. "Joey's dad had cancer... that is why he died. It had nothing to do with Joey and I being together."

"He was sick...?" Lucy whispered.

"I'm not making it up, Lucy. Not everyone around here lies about that sort of thing..." Lauren said sharply. Lucy looked at her blankly, "Miscarriage ring any bells?" she stated, seeing the blonde's face heat. "Have you told your dad the truth, Luce? Maybe I should inform him... seeing as you're so keen on revealing secrets to parents..."

"You promised you wouldn't say anything..." Lucy hissed, glancing at Joey, who was watching the pair silently.

"And I haven't... apart from Joey who would never tell anyone else," Lauren said, "You see, unlike you... I can be relied on to keep a secret..."

"So you being together is a secret then?" she said with a smirk.

"No, Lucy..." Lauren sighed. "The important people know and I'm sure some who aren't that important know too..." Lauren folded her arms across her chest and looking at the girl in front of her pointedly.

"There's no need to be nasty, Lauren," she spluttered.

"I think you'll find you started it with your snide remarks to my boyfriend... If you don't like it, you know what to do!" She stepped a little closer, "And if you ever speak to Joe like that again... you will live to regret it. Friend or not... you don't talk to him like that... ever! Understand?" Lucy nodded and then turned and walked out of the pub. Lauren sat back down, pressing herself against Joey's side.

Joey kissed her temple softly, "My opinion of her will never change, Lo." He murmured to her.

"Mine has..." She whispered, turning her head and pecking him softly on the lips. "I'm sorry, JoJo..." she whispered.

"You don't have anything to apologise for, babe... Do you know how hot it was watching you standing up for me?" he breathed in her ear, "It was so hot, I could take you right here, right now." He added and Lauren's face flushed.

"Don't tease me, Joe." She whimpered. Her eyes ran over his face and despite his more jovial appearance she could see the telltale signs of strain around his eyes. "What happened today?" she asked him softly. He closed his eyes and Lauren's heart sank. The last thing she wanted for him was more pain. Joey pulled her head back so it was resting on his chest again. He leant his head so it was lying on hers and she brushed her hand over his chest, silently comforting him, "Talk to me, Joe."

"The solicitor had some papers for me to sign..." he told her softly. "Most of the assets were in his and mum's name so they pass directly to her... like the house, the car and the bank account."

"Okay..." Lauren said softly.

"He had some things that were in his name only though."

"Like what?" she asked.

"Some shares and a couple of ISA's." He said softly, "He's left them to me..." he told her. "I had to sign the paperwork to transfer them to my name."

"I bet that was a surprise?" She said.

"It was..." He pushed his hand into his jacket pocket and pulled out the envelope again. He clutched it in his hand, "He left me this as well..."

"What does it say?"

"I don't know... I haven't read it." Joey leaned forward and kissed her cheek softly, "I spoke to your dad... about the baby thing..." he said softly. Lauren quirked an eyebrow at her boyfriend, "It seemed the right time to do it and I thought it would be easier if it was just me and him."

"And was it?" she whispered.

"He was great about it... he said they'd all support us with our decision. He said Dad would've loved it too."

"Why don't we go back to mine and you can read that letter? It might give you some answers you need, JoJo. If you want to be alone that's fine... but if you want me to be there when you read it, I can do that too." She said softly.

"I want you there." He whispered, "You never have to question that, baby..." He kissed her hair again.

"Let's go then, Joe." She said, getting to her feet and holding out her hand towards him. He stood and put his arm around her waist, his other hand clasping hers. They walked out of the pub and down the street to her house. Lauren let him lead her up to the front door and soon they were walking up to her bedroom. Lauren pulled her boyfriend over to her bed and pushed him down. She climbed onto the bed behind him and knelt behind him, wrapping her arms around his neck, kissing his temple softly. She glanced down and saw his hands were shaking slightly. "Is there anything I can do, JoJo?" she asked him softly.

"Just stay with me..." he whispered.

"Always..." she breathed. She watched as his thumb brushed over his name on the envelope and she recognised it was her uncle's writing. After a couple of minutes he turned the envelope over and slid his thumb into the top, opening it carefully.

He drew out two sheets of paper and unfolded them slowly. Lauren ran a hand down his chest and kissed his cheek as he mentally prepared himself to read the letter. He held the letter so they could both read it and Lauren turned her attention to the handwritten note.

_Joseph, _

_If you're reading this, then I have finally succumbed to this illness and you will now have found out that I was ill. I'm sorry I never told you about my illness, I hope you aren't too angry with me for not telling you. I wanted to tell you; to tell you all but I didn't want our last month's together to be ones where our time was filled with anger and pain. It was difficult enough for me to hear those painful words from the doctor; him telling me there was nothing they could do for me. I got told that eight weeks ago and since then I've been making arrangements for when I've gone._

_By now you will have been told about the things I've left for you, Joey. I want you to put the money to good use; to do something with your life and become something amazing. I know you have it in you, son... I always have done. Much like I have always known you would end up with Lauren. I've known since you were nine years old and Lauren had the incident with the bully. I heard from the teachers how you looked after her and you were her little protector in the nurse's office too. Your mum told me about the teddy bear you brought her and my brother about how she fell asleep in your arms at the hospital. _

_I don't even know if you will be with her when you read this; you aren't yet as I'm writing this but if you aren't, I hope you take heed from my words and consider your feelings for her. Both of you have gravitated around each other, practically from the day Lauren was born and I hope you have found happiness with her because I want you to be happy, son. I want you to find the girl you love and allow her to be there for you. I did that with the girl I loved and she gave me two beautiful children and many years of happy marriage._

_The best day of my life is the day you were born, son, because we thought we would never have you. We had tried so hard for a baby and your mum had several miscarriages before she fell pregnant with you. We were both beginning to lose hope of ever having children but then you came along and this time we were successful. I felt complete and utter joy when I held you in my arms. I fell in love with you the instant I set eyes on you and every day has made those feelings intensify in a way I didn't think was possible. You've made me so proud over the years, Joseph and I know that will never change. I will be watching you now I'm gone and I know you will always make me proud._

_I've left letters for your mum and sister. They are locked in a small tin in my office and I'd be grateful if you could pass them on to them. Please support your mum and sister, Joey... I hope that my passing will highlight to you how short time can be. And that you should appreciate what you have while you have it._

_I hope this letter will help you deal with the no doubt suddenness of my passing. I hope my death was relatively pain free and I didn't suffer too greatly. If I did then I apologise to you all for putting you through the pain of watching it happen. That was the one thing I didn't want._

_There is little left for me to say now, son. I hope Lauren and you will be happy, hopefully together. I want you both to make me a grandfather and to grow disgustingly old together. You have a great propensity for love, Joseph, you've shown me that repeatedly in the years since you were born and I know you have a great deal of love to give to that beautiful niece of mine. Remember that, Joey. Never forget how easy it is to love someone... and how difficult it is to be alone._

_For the last time, Joseph, listen to your father and follow my advice because I give it freely to you now. Live every day to the full, be happy and love hard and deeply. _

_Love for now and always_

_Dad xx_

Joey placed the letter on the mattress beside where they sat and Lauren pulled him into her arms, feeling him slump against her after reading it through. "It's okay, Joe..." she said softly, moving around him and sitting astride his lap.

"Did you see when that letter was written, Lo?" he whispered to her, hugging her tightly against him. Lauren shook her head, waiting for him to tell her rather than looking at it and finding out. "He wrote it almost two years ago... that's before we even got together."

"He knew... even then, Joe. He knew how we felt about each other." She said softly. "He said in the letter he'd known forever..."

"He's right... I've loved you pretty much the whole of my life, I just didn't realise what those feelings were." He pressed his lips to hers softly, his hands cupping her face tenderly. "Dad's right though..."

"About what?" she asked softly.

"I plan on growing disgustingly old with you... marrying you and having many children with you..."

Lauren smiled at him, her eyes widening as she took in what he'd said. This was something they'd talked about obviously, especially with her health issues but it had always been more of a possibility. Lauren knew this was a promise he was making to her, "You do?"

"I plan to have you in my life forever, Lauren Branning..." he whispered. Lauren hugged him tightly, smiling into his neck as she thought of a future with the only boy she had ever loved. It sounded like a future she wanted very much.

**THE END.**

**A/N: And there you have it... I can't swear I won't come back to this little world at some time in the future... I'm going to miss JoJo and LoLo more than I thought I would... but it's not going to be for a while because I have other stories that I'm itching to write.**

**Oh and I can't take credit for the beautiful poem that Lauren reads at the funeral. I found it online but unfortunately the author was unknown... so whoever it was - thank you because it made me cry every time I read it.  
**

**I'll reply to reviews for this and the last chapter later tonight or tomorrow. Thanks again and I'll see you soon. xx**


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